Target
by Mahersal
Summary: Maggie Lune's life was pretty basic until one catastrophic trip to the doctor changed her life. As she is thrown in the middle of a war by a friend who had no other choice, she struggles with being a demigod and finding her place in this new world. With the help of three new friends, Maggie may have a chance of figuring out what it's like to be a demigod-if she survives the war.
1. Ready

After an unnecessarily long wait, I finally found motivation and time to re-write thus puppy. I almost considered re-naming Maggie, but it suits her. I have to be honest when I say this story was a cheap way to do a self-insert. Now that I'm older (I started this in 2009!) I realize that although it would be great to live in worlds like this, I can't. I can make characters to do it for me and I can control them. That doesn't mean the character has to be me, because I honestly don't know what _I'd _do in this situation.

How I'm doing this is I will delete all the current chapters and upload them one at a time again. It the most convenient way to do it.

And now without further ado, I give you the new redux of _Target _(originally titled _The Sun's Song)._

Disclaimer: PJatO: TLO is copyright to Rick Riordan. I just love the books.

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Ready**

All I really needed was a checkup, a physical if you will. If I was going to participate in the archery club for school next year, I needed to have my vitals checked—it was a requirement anyway. Ollie coming along wasn't planned. Mom forgot about the appointment earlier that day and okayed my best friend coming over. The only reason she remembered was because she had to mark something on the calendar and saw what was written down for the day. Ollie didn't mind coming along; he's fascinated with medicine and healing. He's always asking to see if I have any cuts and if he can try out homemade remedies on them. I always say no. I find it weird that he's so mesmerized with the medical profession. I would not want to look at people's sweaty bodies all day.

But I digress.

The waiting was the worst part. We got there right on time, 3:45 on Friday in mid-July, about a week and a month before school started in the fall, and I wasn't called on for a good twenty minutes. Sitting and waiting is the worst. I can stand and wait. Heck, I've knelt and waited easier than this. ADHD, no matter how slight the case, always makes waiting unbearable, especially if you are an angsty, pubescent, freshman-bound girl of fourteen. Eighth grade was extra hard for me. I've been at the same school since fifth grade when we moved from Rochester, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and this year was the worst because of the new girl.

I have never loathed someone as much in my life as Lydia Fischer. She noticed I had a hard time keeping still and paying attention because of my ADHD and took forever to read because of a medium-severe case of dyslexia, so she are her little cronies—who originally just left me out—decided it would be cool to pick on the special needs kid. I was pegged as Schizophrenic Mommy-Dependant Peggy-Sue. The mommy part because I could never get any work done without her help—bless her soul for her patience!—and the schizophrenic because I had this bad habit of telling people the crazy things I saw outside our school. A unicorn? Just a horse. Dragon? Nope, it's a hawk. I was the crazy one. It was _awful. _

The only joy I found was in my best friend Ollie, another special needs kid who has trouble walking. We met last year at the YMCA. Despite his clumsy feet, Ollie is really good at racquetball. He swings the racket back and forth like a hero would swing a sword. I saw his playing by himself and decided to let myself in the room and joined him before he could say anything. (I tend to do things before thinking, and that often gets me into sticky situations that end with detentions.) We hit it off and the rest is history. He took a long leave of absence in November, only telling me that he went to visit relatives in North Carolina when he came back. He looked crestfallen, but I didn't press him about it; Ollie shuts down when he gets upset about something and won't talk to anyone about it.

Again, I digress.

When the nurse finally called me to the back room, I was about to explode. I _needed _to move. She did the basics…when was your last visit? When was your last period? Allergic to any meds? The usual.

"Dr. Hoffstedder will be with you soon," she said with a pleasant smile as she closed the door.

So the waiting began again.

Ten minutes passed—thank goodness it was shorter this time—and the door opened again to reveal my doctor…

…and his twin?

Was it take your sibling to work day? I didn't ask, or want to know. The two stood side by side as if they were literally attached by the hip.

"Good afternoon, Maggie!" The Dr. Hoffstedder on the left said. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," I said honestly, "I just need a physical for school next year and I'll be out of your hair."

Both men chuckled at my comment and he took his stethoscope off his neck. "Deep breath, please."

I breathed in as commanded. "Hey, Doc," I said when he finished, "I didn't know you had a twin."

The two looked at each other and smiled. "Didn't you know?" They said at the same time. "It's take a family member to work day!"

"Don't you have a wife and daughter?"

The doctor(s?) backed up until their backs touched the door. "Well, aren't you observant." They snarled together, a look of contempt on their faces.

It was when the lock clicked that I knew something was wrong.

"It seems that you have an old disease," the doctor on the left said.

"I have to give you a shot so you can heal," the one on the right finished.

"Um… what kind of disease is this?" I asked, the fear creeping into my voice before I could stop it.

That's when the hissing started. A python crept up from behind the left doctor's back, sweeping back and forth between the two until it stood five feet above their heads.

"Demigod disease! Die mortal!" The two doctors morphed together to form a massive, eight foot tall bull with a snake for a tail.

I screamed bloody murder.

The bull charged.

"HELP!" I called. For being big, the creature had fast reflexes, probably from the snake part of him that was trying to bite my face off. I had no idea what to do. Yes, I've seen the magical creatures, but none of them ever _attacked _me. They usually looked at me, sneered, and kept going. And now I was about to die and no one would be able to say how.

All hell decided to break loose then as three things happened at once.

One: The bull charged again and I flipped over him

Two: As I flipped the door exploded

Three: The fire sprinklers went off and the bull snorted in anger

Ollie stepped out of the smoke, a strange musical instrument in his hand.

"Follow me. I'll explain everything on the way." He ran in and grabbed my hand, dragging out of the door and into the lobby where people ran around and screamed.

"Ollie? Maggie? What happened?" My mom got up and tried to come over.

"Code CHB, Ms. Lune!" Ollie called to her as we reached the door.

He eyes widened. "What? _Now?"_

"I'll IM you the details!" he dragged me through the door as another explosion surged and shook the doctor's office. The bull-snake creature was on our tails.

Ollie had everything collected. A drip of sweat ran down the side of his face, something that only happens when he is either working really hard during a racquetball game or he's trying really hard not get frustrated. Not only was Ollie tight-lipped when he got upset, but he's bitter, holds his feelings inside, and holds grudges like the time it takes for a star to die—forever.

He brought me around the side of the building away from traffic and out of sight. A great oak tree grew in a very conspicuous spot: right smack-dab in the middle of the alley. It broke through the cement and started to creep up at the apartment next to the doctor's office.

"Why don't they just cut the tree down?" I asked.

"They can't." He replied, approaching the tall oak apprehensively.

"Why?"

"You can't remove something you can't see."

"How can you _not _notice something like that?"

"If it's magical you can't."

I stopped in my tracks. Since when did Ollie say things like that? We never really had a serious conversation about magic. I never told him I could see things like one eyed men and giants because I didn't want him to make fun of me like the other kids. I once asked him if he thought magic existed. His eyes widened for a moment and he replied with a simple, "It's probable," before changing the subject.

_Now _he brings up magic. Well, it did make sense since we were being attacked by a bull-snake thing that I forgot to mention spewed venom. Another ominous boom echoed from inside the doctor's office. Chills went down my spine. I opened my mouth to ask Ollie what being by a tree was going to do when he played a shrill sound from the instrument he was holding. The tune was fast and airy; it sounded something like woodland forest meets dubstep. Before my very eyes, with each pipe of the tubes Ollie was blowing in, the tree cracked in the center, twisting and expanding to expose a hole big enough for a human to fit through.

Ollie's face was drenched in sweat when he finished. "Go through. We don't have time."

"But what—"

Three things happened at once again.

One: The wall of the doctor's office we were by exploded and that nasty bull-snake monster stepped through the dust

Two: The force knocked Ollie off his feet; he literally lost his feet in the blast and donned a pair of hooves instead of shoes

Three: Ollie gave me a good shove before he fell and I plunged through the tree portal

A hill with a few sparse trees including a very large pine tree at the top greeted my entrance. I lay where I fell for a good minute, unsure of where I was or what to do before I got up and decided to walk uphill. I looked back at the portal, expecting to see the alley, but saw through to the other side—

—and Ollie suddenly appearing.

"_Run up the hill!" _he said urgently and brought the pipe-things to his mouth again. He played the same tune that opened the portal, except this time it started to close. He wasn't fast enough though, and suddenly an arm broke through the fissure in the tree. Now Ollie was in panic mode. He lost all concentration.

"Flipping run, Maggie! _Di immortals!" _He tried to play the tune faster, but another arm bust through the tree, ripping off chunks of wood. Ollie sighed exasperatedly and all I did was stare at him. Bull-snake guys? Tree portals? Some weird language I've never heard?

"Ollie, what's going on…?"

"Come here, demigod!" the bull ripped enough of the tree that he could fit his torso through the hole. "I'll kill you so you won't have to deal with the mess that's over the hill!"

I decided right then and there that I'd rather deal with a mess than die. Running seemed like the best option, so that's what I did. Ollie was right behind me and we reached the top of the hill before the monster fully got out of the tree.

"Now what?" I was even more confused than the time an old bag lady asked me if I could tell me her future like my dad could. I never even met my dad. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"We wait." Ollie brought the pipes to his lips again and blew one sharp, high note. The bull was about to close in when an arrow from behind us shot him in the head. The bull-snake, confused, broke it off his head and looked at it.

"Who dares challenge the great Ophiotaurus?" the snake-bull roared.

"A group of punk-ass kids ready to kick your butt," a boy with shaggy brown hair and mischievous green eyes said. "Archers, NOW!"

A group of five kids shot arrows straight at the bull-snake before he had time to deflect them. They all hit around his heart and where they touched his pelt blew up into mustard yellow dust. The dust affect snaked up to his head and down to his feet until just a pile of powder and the slight smell of sulfur replaced him.

"Nice job, guys," the green-eyed boy said. He turned to Ollie and me. "What's the case?"

"Code NDMA," Ollie said bitterly, glaring at the boy who just kept smiling at him.

"Thank you, Ollinator. You can go back to garden duty now," the boy said with a sly smile.

I swear you could cut the tension with a plastic knife and serve it with dinner.

"Could someone please explain what the heck just happened and what has happened to me my whole life?" I asked, feeling as desperate as ever to get answers.

The boy chuckled and walked over to me, lazily draping his arm across my shoulders. He steered me closer to edge of the hill and dramatically swept his other arm in front of him. "I can in five simple words: welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

That still didn't answer my question.

* * *

Well there you have it! I have to say I am very pleased with what I've done. No more random plot holes, and defiantly some foreshadowing. For those who have been watching this and patiently been waiting for the next chapter, I thank you so much. For those newbies, welcome aboard! Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	2. Before and After

I'm going to try to pump these out ASAP because I don't want to lose this I-love-Percy-Jackson-Rick-Riordan-is-my-hero phase that I'm going through.

Chapter two is also started from scratch because it was really shitty as well. Too many explanations of things if you have read the books you should know. This is a more "here's my characters" chapter.

For your viewing pleasure, chapter 2!

Disclaimer: The Percy Jackson series belongs to Rick Riordan and no one else.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Before and After**

As the group of kid archers walked me downhill—past a sleeping dragon nonetheless—to a large valley with Greek buildings and fields and a whole bunch of other things I didn't know, the leader explained how I'm a demigod, better known as half-blood. He gave me the basics of how my ADHD are my battle instincts—that explains how I was able to flip over the bull—and how my dyslexia is my brain hard-wired to read—get this—Ancient Greek. Ha! As if that's probable! However, as he continued to explain what happened to me today, how I was always able to see these monsters, and small magical occurrences that happen to kids like me, it made sense.

"Have you yourself ever had a magical experience?" he asked.

I hesitated. I never really told people the things that happened to me, not even my mom. Telling others about the unicorn was one thing, but I think I'd get crazy looks if I told people that I've had…visions. It's only happened three times since I was six, but my accuracy was crazy. No one knows this, but I actually knew about the earthquake in Haiti a year in advance. That was the only big one. The other two were local visions. When I was six, I had this vision of our mayor retiring three months before it happened. When I was nine, I knew of a major snowstorm that blew out all power for three days two in a half weeks prior to it happening. I never told anyone this. I wasn't going to start now.

"No," I lied.

The boy looked at me skeptically, but we kept walking.

"The name's Jace by the way," the boy said as we approached a three story building that stood parallel to a river and huge field of strawberries. I couldn't tell what they were from here, but the air was heavy with the sweet scent so I was able to pinpoint the plant.

"Okay, you're about to meet Mr. D," one of the male campers said. "Don't look at him directly in the eyes. Always refer to him as 'Your Most Goodly', and always ask him for more wine."

Jace punched the guy in the arm. "Owen! Do you want her to get punished? We need campers, you dipwad. Besides, this is one of the few days he's actually had down-time. He has to leave tomorrow and probably won't be back. Give him a break."

He cracked a smile identical to Jace. "Sorry, sorry. Just having some fun."

Jace scoffed and gave the group orders to return to the… Hermes Cabin? Did I hear that right? I didn't say anything and Jace steered me up the stairs and lead me across the wraparound porch to one of the strangest sights yet: a half-horse half-man, a chubby man in a leopard print shirt, and bunch of invisible players all holding cards.

"I assume Hermes Cabin had everything under control, Jace," the horse-man said, placing a card on the table.

"Yes, Chiron sir." Jace said. "The girl was brought here safely with no casualties."

"Very good. Excellent job, Ollie."

_Ollie. _I completely forgot about him! I turned around and confirmed my eyes were not playing tricks on me when his feet were replaced with goat hooves and his pants were now furry hindquarters, tail and all. I felt the color drain from my face. My best friend was a _goat_.

"Thank you," Ollie said, his calm demeanor returning. His eyes hardened as he glanced over at the chubby man.

"Aren't you going to say something, Mr. D?" the horse-man asked.

Fatso looked up from his cards and glimpsed indifferently at Ollie. "What he said."

Ollie's jaw clenched. "Thank you, Mr. D," he said, though it sounded forced.

The horse-man's mouth had a ghost of smile. "I believe I won this game, Mr. D." He put his cards on the table, revealing a royal flush.

Mr. D placed his cards on the table and compared. He frowned and his eyes blazed with a purple fire—wait _what—_for a moment before speaking. "So you have. Shame. I thought I had you for once." He snapped his fingers and a Diet Coke appeared in thin air. The other cards from the invisible players dropped as if the players suddenly disappeared. He got up and finally looked at me. His eyes widened for a moment before the look of boredom returned. "Welcome to Camp-Half Blood, blah, blah, blah." He walked around the corner and went inside before anyone else could say anything.

The horse-man sighed and turned to me. "You'll have to excuse Mr. D. He's under much stress. I presume Jace gave you a good idea of what has happened to you through the course of your life."

"Yes, sir." I couldn't think to say anything else.

"Good, good. My name is Chiron and I'm the activities director. To answer your confused look you've had for the past five minutes, I'm a centaur." Chiron smiled gently at me though his old eyes held on to another feeling I couldn't place.

He turned to Jace. "I think it'll be easier to show her the video then fill her in with the most recent events of the past years and this summer." He looked back at me for a moment. "I apologize for the chaos you just got yourself into, Miss Lune. This is a truly unfortunate time for demigods to come to camp." His gaze shifted to Ollie. "Mr. Wilder, your little brother is looking for you. Make sure you contact Maggie's mother as well. I'm sure she's worried. Also, we have to talk about the, ah, events that happened last year regarding a certain Hermes boy." He briefly looked at Jace before walking past us all and trotting to the strawberry fields.

My jaw must have dropped because Ollie walked over to me and shut it. His look was full of pity, as if he was remorseful for something I wasn't aware of. He glared at Jace (who just smiled smugly back at him) before addressing me. "I'm sorry, Maggie."

"For what?"

He cast his eyes down. "You'll see." He trotted away before I could say anything.

Remember when I said I was confused? I was mistaken. _Now_ I'm as confused as ever.

"How did… Cheer-On know my name?" I asked.

"Chiron," Jace corrected then shrugged. "Who knows? He's Chiron! He gets information faster than a high speed computer, and he's _way _older. Now," he rubbed his hand together in excitement. "Let's watch a video!"

:::^:::

Watching the video was a lot easier than listening to Jace explain how we've been at war with the Titans for the past few years. I was apprehensive about everything he was telling me, but it defiantly made sense with all the things I've seen and heard. The one thing I _couldn't _wrap my head around was _me _being a _half-blood. My _dad is a _god? _It was crazy. I've never met my dad and mom never talked about him. I asked her once what he was like and she said he had a great singing voice, a killer smile, and was charming when he wanted to be. Whenever I asked after that she told me to go clean my room even if it was already straightened up.

"So were all the archers that came to my aid Hermes kids?" I asked as Jace brought me to my new summer home. The video told me this was the Hermes Cabin, a place full of mischievous kids, outcasts, and people who don't know their godly heritage yet—people like me.

"Yes ma'am," he answered and roughly opened the damaged door on the old cabin, breaking it off its hinges. "Shit, not again. TRAVIS! CONNER!"

Two boys who looked like twins poked their heads out the door. "Yes?" They said in unison before their eyes trailed to the broken door.

"Nice job, Jace," the one on the left said. "That's the third time this week!"

"Sorry guys," Jace said. "Just be thankful I'm the only one doing it. It's not like I try to do it on purpose."

"True that," the one on the right said. He looked up at me and tilted his head curiously. "Who's she?"

"Maggie's a new camper. No claim yet, so she's with us." Jace said, clapping his hand on my back.

"Predictable." The one on the right said, though his eyes widened at something as he looked at me. He poked his head back into the cabin. "Code NC!"

"Claimed or unclaimed?" a female voice from inside asked.

"Unclaimed." He said. A groan resounded from inside, but it was a tired one, not unwelcome.

"Just put the door against the wall," the boy on the left said. "We'll deal with it later. Dinner is upon us!" A stream of boys and girls wandered out of the cabin and headed over to—what I just recently learned of—the Mess Hall. A corn-silk blonde girl lingered in the doorway. Left-boy stuck his hand out and I took it. "Welcome to the Hermes Cabin, Maggie! I'm Travis Stoll and that's Conner. We're your Cabin Leaders, so if you need anything you can consult us."

"Or me," Jace muttered to me. "I'm second in command."

"I heard that Jace, and no you're not." Conner said with a smile. "You just like to think you are."

Jace smiled and I noticed that it was true that all the Hermes kids had the same smile and eyes full of mischief. "Can't deny the truth."

Conner's smile dissolved and he became grave, a strange expression for a son of the god of thieves and travelers. "We'll see after what happens."

I jumped at the sound of a horn—the conch horn that sounded for all meals I presumed after learning about it in the video—and the blonde girl jumped excitedly and tackle-hugged Jace as the Stole brothers walked away.

"Gah! Phoebe! How long have you been standing there?" Jace pulled her off his back.

"Long enough to know we have a new camper! What good and bad timing!" she said, greeting me with a warm smile. "I'm Phoebe."

I smiled back, a strange feeling in my gut stirring at the fact that people kept commenting about my timing. Was it my fault I arrived in the middle of a war? I felt guilty to have been dragged into this mess. I think I'd rather have taken the ophiotaurus than be here. My life was so much easier before I found out I was a half-blood.

:::^:::

Dinner didn't sit well with me. I followed all the customs of burning food to the gods and even amazed myself by being unfazed at the nymphs that served us dinner. I couldn't get a hold of the tension that gripped at the campers. Jace and Phoebe updated my about the events he hadn't yet told me of. Sons of Poseidon, lightning thieves, seas of monster, a golden fleece—I noticed it hung on the huge pine tree that the dragon, Peleus, was snoozing under—a stolen god, people holding up the sky, a huge labyrinth, and robots that cheated death all part of the huge war which, _apparently _was going down this summer, right now actually. I learned that I ended up at camp about a few weeks early before the demigod moves were gonna be made; Percy Jackson, this hot-shot, and another camper has a big plan to blow up a cruise ship that housed a whole bunch of monsters. Jace also told me I was one of the few new half-bloods that ended up at camp this year. Other demigods have either been killed by monsters or joined the Titan army through deception or threats. He also told me that not everyone was here because half-bloods were allowed to leave camp and go on mission trips to attack monster raids and try anything to help the gods.

"Now that I have answers to everything else, I think," I started as we walked over to the pond; Chiron told me that Ollie was waiting for me there, "can you tell me what all these codes are?"

Phoebe and Jace burst out laughing. "Oh those," they said at the same time.

"It's just easier to communicate with codes instead of words," Jace said. "Not to mention if there are spies or if we're watched, the enemy won't know what we're talking about. Of course, if you are well versed with half-bloods, the codes are easy to figure out."

"That didn't answer my question." I said blatantly.

"What were the codes you heard?" Phoebe asked.

"CHB—"

"'Camp Half-Blood,'" interrupted Jace.

"Um, NBDT, I think…"

"You mean NDMA. 'Normal day, monster attack.' We have other ones for different kinds of monster attacks such as ADMA, 'abnormal day, monster attack', CADMA, 'crazy ass day, monster attack', and YDEWTKDMA, 'you don't even want to know day, monster attack'. That one is for really crazy days. They don't always apply to new campers either." Jace smiled fondly at that and smiled at Phoebe, probably sharing an inside joke.

"The other one was NC." I finished.

"'New camper,'" Jace said. "That one is the easiest. Just be glad it wasn't the number codes. Those are still new to us."

We met up with Ollie and smaller satyr who stood next to him, clutching onto his black shirt that read "Baaaaaaaaaaahd to the Bone." Jace and Phoebe walked over to the pond to give my best friend and me some privacy.

"Ollie!" I ran up and hugged him, accidentally knocking over the smaller satyr.

He returned the hug and then helped up his smaller counterpart. "Maggie, this is my little brother, Walrus."

"_Walrus?" _I asked, trying hard not to laugh.

"It's Wally actually," Ollie replied "But 'Ollie and Wally' is too matchy-matchy for me. Don't ask how the name Walrus came about. It's a _really _long story."

Remember when I said Ollie was tight-lipped?

"I contacted your mom via Iris Message," he continued. "She's glad you're safe and she's sending you a suitcase full of your stuff. It should be here tomorrow; I set up another portal that will only be opened by password and will only admit small stuff. Any heat detection and it will go straight to the Atlantic Ocean."

My mouth dropped again. "How did you manage to do _that?"_

"Ollie is really good at reed pipes!" Walrus piped up. "He's the best of all the satyrs since Amarantos, and he was around over two—" Ollie covered up his little brother's mouth.

"They get it, I'm good. No need to brag." He said in a clipped voice. "How about you go practice making the strawberries grow?"

"Just because I look eight doesn't mean I am," Walrus sneered. "I'm his age!" He pointed angrily at Jace. Jace looked up briefly before returning to skipping rocks.

"Strawberries. _Now_."

Walrus stuck his tongue out at him much like an eight-year-old would and stomped away. I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you so much, Ollie." I said sincerely.

He smiled grimly at me. "Don't thank me. It's my fault you're here and in this mess."

"Fault? You saved me from the ophiotaurus!" I protested.

"And brought you into a bigger mess." He countered. He put his hand up when I tried to speak.

Tight-lipped.

"Jace," Ollie said with venom. "Chiron wants to see us. "Oh, and Lauressa will be there."

Jace groaned, but followed Ollie to the Big House. When did Ollie get so mature? It then dawned on me that my best friend was actually 28 and not 14. That's bizarre.

Phoebe walked over to me and sighed. "Don't mind those two. They've had this bitterness for each other since the day they met and it just escalated last year."

"Mind sharing?"

She shook her head. "It's not my place." Her gold eyes lightened to a pale yellow as she looked at me. She gasped and looked away, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. I didn't ask what just happened, but just like everything else, I felt like all the events that happened today would be explained soon. For now, we'd have to wait and see what happened after Percy showed up to camp. Still, we had a few weeks.

A few weeks isn't long enough for a new half-blood to train for a full out war though.

* * *

Chapter two! Now I'm not telling you things that already happened and the chapter titles are more me and not like Rick Riordan's. I am already feeling so good about what I have. I hope you liked it! Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	3. Just Kids

I have to say, this is the fastest I've ever pumped out a story. EVER. I'm that motivated to write and PJO just makes me happy.

For the record, there will be different character perspectives in the future like there was in the old version of the story. I think I'll do more chapters like that too because it's a good way to get into everyone's mind, not to mention it's fun!

Disclaimer: PJO belongs to Rick Riordan and no one else.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

** Just Kids**

Day one of Camp Half-Blood ended with a half-hearted sing-along lead by the Apollo boys. It was mildly entertaining for a bit, but the magical fire that—from what I'm told—usually rises to six feet and glows a bright orange barely rose to a foot and was a pathetic shade of dull blue. Lights out every night is at eleven. It didn't take me too long to fall asleep, but I couldn't shake that uneasy feeling in my stomach. I had dreams of Ollie running around with other satyrs all trying to get away from monsters I've never seen before. I also dreamed of a group of half-bloods running away from a giant dragon. I woke up at the crack of dawn—like usual; I'm an early bird—in a cold sweat. I looked around the cabin, the snores of Jace two bunks away making me smile slightly. I quietly got out of bed and changed into the new, bright orange Camp Half-Blood shirt before noticing that my bunk buddy was missing from her bed.

I found Phoebe by the lake sitting by herself and absentmindedly picking the petals off a daisy. I almost plowed ahead to sit next to her, but the way she sat put me off, so I turned to go.

"You don't have to leave," her voice was soft; she defiantly had a lot on her mind.

I hesitated, but obliged and sat beside her. Her eyes wore a far-off look I was unfamiliar with. I didn't know the girl well, heck I just met her yesterday, but she seemed so depressed I felt I should say _something. _

"You okay?" I asked lamely.

She stopped picking at the daisy and sighed, glancing out at the sky. You could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. Orange and pink mixed with the grey-purple of dawn, shading over the darkness of night. Phoebe's eyes seem to reflect the sky beautifully, but I doubted my vision and cast my eyes down.

"Okay as one with so much pressure can be," she answered vaguely.

"Pressure?" I asked, trying to keep a steady conversation. "From who?"

She turned her eyes back down to the flower, he fingers gently brushing the petals. She smiled fondly, as if she was reliving a memory. "The world."

I blinked, awestruck at such a bold statement. "Why would the world be pressuring you? You're just a kid! You're what, fifteen?"

"Sixteen," Phoebe answered patiently. "You see, everyone at camp is under pressure for the same reason: we have to win the war or we'll die. Simple as that."

It didn't seem very simple to me, winning a war, but I kept my mouth shut. "Then why are you out here by yourself at the crack of dawn?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she answered smartly, "but you must be an early bird too." She sighed heavily and her eyes suddenly wore the same expression Chiron's did when I first met him. "Though we all are under pressure, there are some who have a larger burden to bear." She frowned slightly before looking at me square in the eye. I didn't know if she was trying to tell me something, but I didn't dare look away.

"Like what?"

"Not everyone likes to reveal their secrets to acquaintances, Maggie."

I blushed at my blunder, realizing too late I crossed the line. Phoebe laughed lightly.

"It's okay. You didn't know." The sun finally cracked at the horizon and light flooded the earth. She smiled as the sun warmed her face, closing her eyes and relaxing as if releasing a thousand worries. "You'll find out in due time though. You tend to learn a lot about people in the span of a week. You'll see." She got up and turned to go as the conch horn sounded off for campers to wake up. I couldn't keep my eyes off her as she walked away.

"Besides," she called back when she was rough ten feet away, "I have a feeling we're going to get along swimmingly."

That small conversation answered so many questions and open up twice as many.

Thus started my first week of cramming many years worth of training into a few days.

**Day Two**

My first official day at camp was all about speed and stamina. The other campers were used to this kind of training and all their skills returned just as easily as a kid taking his bike out for the first time after winter; they knew everything, it just needed to be refreshed.

For me, however, everything was new so I was pushed harder so I could be as caught up as possible—which, I could already tell, wasn't going to happen.

After breakfast, which was at 8:30 and ended at 9:00, the Hermes Cabin had cross country and sprints with the Ares Cabin. According to Jace this is a good match up because both Cabins like competition, so they really were doing their best.

I was really pathetic. I always thought I was pretty good at running. I thought wrong. I run slower than a slug on downers. I ran, did crazy drills with push-ups, lunges, and even gymnastics, jumped over hurtles, and crab-walked over and over again across a finish line of strawberry vines the satyrs charmed to form together whenever someone broke it. By the time the first hour was up, I already sweated away my lunch.

For the nest hour, the Hermes kids trained in the armory, the sounds of clashing metal echoed around me as I continually dodged back and forth to keep away from Jace's own personal celestial bronze sword.

"My friend Kevin over in—watch it—Hephaestus made it—_nice_ spin—for me on my birthday—don't back down now—last year," Jace said as I bobbed and weaved around the sharp object that persisted to be in my face.

It was hard, but I kept up for the thirty minutes he had me running away from him. For the next half an hour, Jace tried to conduct me in the proper technique for handling a sword.

"It's just an extension of your arm," he said. "Be the sword."

My attempts of me "being the sword" ended up with a few scratches to the face, a mildly sprained ankle, and Jace almost dying twice.

"Have you ever picked up _any _sort of weapon you're okay at? Any at all?" He asked as we walked over to lunch at 12:30.

"I'm not that half bad with the bow and arrows," I said slowly.

A sly smile crossed his face. "That just might work. We'll hit the archery range after the rock wall."

The rock wall was not kind to me. I nearly lost my lunch a few times going up and down, weaving to and fro, and attempting to hold on while the rocks clashed together, all the while the satyrs that were already there scaling the wall with ease. Ollie joined us twenty minutes in. He and Jace were now on a forced peace treaty so my training could happen as efficiently with no distractions or hesitations. They tensely stood next to each other and yelled pointers to me, both jumping when the lava almost killed me. After an hour of getting on a off that wall, I could hardly stand up straight.

"We have our free choice now," Jace said as he steered me, Phoebe, Ollie over to the archery range. A few other campers accompanied us in our trek over. "So let's see your archery skills."

Ollie raised an eyebrow at me. "You only mentioned you liked archery once. How good are you?"

This is when the cocky part of me decided to take over. "As good as you are at playing the reed pipes."

He smiled coyly at me, but didn't say anything.

Jace gave me time to choose my bow carefully. It needed to be the right fit. I went with a simple wooden bow with a reverse-twisted string of a synthetic fiber. The arrows were another story. There were sharp tipped, flaming, poison filled, ect. I was so excited at the choices I completely forgot why I came here in the first place. I went with the arrows with a simple wooden shaft, crow feather fletching, and, of course, celestial bronze arrow head. A watched the other campers for a few minutes, two boys having fun shooting arrows at random targets instead of the ones with the red bullseye, another boy contemplating before shooting every arrow, and a strange, lithe, tall, wiry girl who stuck marshmallows at the tip of the arrow before shooting.

I ignored everything and took a deep breath, relaxing all of my aching muscles and calming my nerves. I notched arrow into place, lined it up with the bullseye, stuck my tongue out—a habit I picked up when shooting—and released.

_Thwack! _The arrow hit exactly where I wanted it to go.

I smiled.

I shot arrows until I was out. Every target I spied an arrow would be sticking out of it… okay, not every target, but for the most part I was on fire.

I didn't have the first place title in PA junior archery for no reason.

I turned back to my friends, a smile of satisfaction on my face to be met with three flabbergasted faces.

Ollie was the first to talk. "You weren't kidding."

"I don't kid when it comes to archery."

"Well, no more sword lessons for you!" Jace said, the shock still in place. "Though it is not a bad thing to know. For now we'll stick with your strength."

I turned to put the bow back and noticed the other archers stopped to watch me. The two boys were in the middle of a serious conversation. They kept looking back at me. The quiet boy watched me closely before walking away. The strange girl had a grin on her face the size of Texas. She gave me a big thumbs up before skipping away.

For the first time I didn't feel useless. But why did I feel the need to hide the one talent I possessed? A part of me scoffed at this preposterous thought, but a small corner of my mind wasn't too sure.

**Day Three**

This day was all about strength. On top of coping with my aching muscles from all of yesterday's "lovely" activities, I was expected to lift things.

And did we lift.

We lifted heavy, solid, bronze shields and carried them around with us to do ridiculous tasks such as feeding the pegasus, picking strawberries, and cleaning the cabin—that one was the most tricky. If you put your shield down, you had to do twenty pushups. Some of the older campers wanted to turn it into a stripping game, but Chiron would not have it.

After that we had our free choice and we went with canoe races with the naiads. Phoebe and I were in one boat, Jace and another Hermes kid in the boat next to us, and two naiads on either side. The loser had to pick up another Hermes kid and have them in the boat. The catch? The newcomer didn't have to row. Jace's smile was uncomfortable confident.

"We're going to lose." Phoebe whispered to me just before we started.

"How do you know?"

"I'm not very good at canoe races, and," she chuckled softly, "when Jace puts his mind to winning something, he _never _loses."

Was she right.

Jace beat the naiads in the first two races. He tied in the third race and glared unhappily at his rowing companion.

"Seph, you need to row faster!"

"I'm trying," the poor kid said. "You're just not giving me enough credit!"

The boat got heavier and heavier with every race. Phoebe and I had a hard time carting six kids in one canoe. After the eighth loss, we called it quits and took a breather. A pretty dryad with pink flowers that seemed to grow on her head came over and gave us each a glass of water. Jace looked uneasy around her, and relaxed when she left. I pondered it for a moment, but didn't say anything.

After lunch we went to beach to do some swimming. Not fun swimming though. Swimming with _weights. _And the shields were back again. I nearly drowned.

By the end of day three I was whipped. The fire burned a bit brighter and the flames glowed Kelly green—not as anxious, but still worried. The more the campers worked and trained, the lighter the air seemed to be. It took their minds off the impending future, if only for a little bit.

I won't deny it when the pressure started to get to me as well.

**Day Four**

Day four was when I finally put down the weapons and brought out the books. This day was all about skills. It also gave my poor limbs a rest. I felt I was carrying around a shield again, except the shield was inside of me.

I started out with an Ancient Greek lesson that lasted twice as long as usual activities because learning Ancient Greek is mandatory for all half-bloods. My tutor was Philippe Donatello, a half-French child of Athena. I spent most of my morning in and out of the Athena Cabin, doing different exercises to help me learn and remember the Greek language.

"It's hardwired into your system," he said, "so you'll get it eventually."

I wish I could say I learned something, but all I picked up were the few curse words Philippe shouted when he dropped his lamp-sized abacus on his foot. I hope he's right.

It was not helpful when Jace and Phoebe talked in Ancient Greek all during lunch, hoping to get me there too. It was at the end when I got so frustrated I called the two of them a "pair of dog-faced crap eaters" that I made many progress, not to mention a few laughs and a serious scolding from one of the elder campers. Jace and Phoebe, thank the gods, didn't mind and found my one milestone humorous.

Battle tactics came next. Where we were supposed to be when, how to approach, what to do, and all that jazz was covered and commanded by the Ares cabin leader, Clarisse. We ran through countless scenarios and situations that by the end of the hour all I could talk about was war strategies.

Ollie, whose job is teaching reed pipes to the younger satyrs, decided to help out with my lessons during my free time by telling me about all the famous demigods such as Hercules ("I heard he was a real jerk,"), Perseus ("They say he was one of the bravest of all,") and Theseus ("Not the sharpest sword in the armory,"). He told me how they accomplished all the feats they did and basic histories.

Capture the Flag was cancelled because of the war, but we were welcome to go into the woods and go "monster hunting" if we so pleased. Jace and a few other campers ran in excitedly, and I went back to the books.

I went to bed with sore muscles and a throbbing headache. I took two Tylenol my mom packed for me to help ease the pain. It didn't really work.

**Day Five**

Now that I had the basics of camp down, this day was all about improving the skills I posses. I spend most of the morning at the archery range with the Apollo Cabin and the Hermes Cabin. Marshmallow girl was not here today, but I saw her running toward the armory after breakfast.

The Apollo boys gave me pointers and criticized me a majority of the time there; I ignored the pointers and sneered at the criticism. (I get really cocky when it comes to archery. With everything else, well…)

After lunch I took to the skies on the back of the pegasus and flew around trying to aim for targets plastered around camp. I was clumsy for the first twenty minutes, but I got the hang of it for the rest of the hour. I wasn't as good as standing on my feet, but I wasn't bad.

Action shooting took place after that. The Hephaestus kids set up landmines and traps as the Apollo, Hermes, Hephaestus, and Ares campers weaved through a maze and aimed at targets, all while trying to avoid each other. It was one of the most fun games I've ever played. Some kids took it seriously, others had fun, and others nearly crapped themselves because they were so nervous. It was like hide-and-seek meets archery meets mouse trap.

For the next hour it was forest archery practice.

"We know this war will be taking place in the city," the head camper of Aphrodite said, "but a forest is as good as it's gonna get."

We ran around trees and aimed for targets. The trees were the enemy and you had to stick with your cabin the entire time.

By the end of the day, my fingers were sore, it hurt to move my arm and I was just physically and emotionally drained. Campfire songs were after dinner and I went to bed early, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**Day Six**

The final day of training was a review of everything I did earlier in the week. For the first hour I ran sprints. I improved only slightly, but I did manage not to trip over the hurtles this time. The next hour consisted of lifting those ridiculously heavy shields and running around with them on our backs. During lunch Jace and Phoebe talked in Ancient Greek, but this time I was able to pick up a few words; when it's hardwired in your system, you tend to pick things up fast. Afterward, I spend my time in the archery range with the shield still in my back. I ran back and forth between targets, shooting and trying not to fall over. I have to say I surprised myself by not get frustrated through the whole week and just giving. Maybe it was the fact that Phoebe was so patient with me, or the Jace continued to encourage me when I got tired, or that Ollie was constantly cheering me up and cheering me on. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. At the end of the day I was exhausted, but I was pretty happy with what I've done.

Ollie handed me a glass of a mysterious liquid that smelled like a banana split with caramel, chocolate sauce, and—did my nose deceive me?—the "special" sauce that tasted like peanuts coated in strawberries they made at my favorite ice cream shop.

"It's nectar, drink of the gods." He explained. "I only gave you a quarter glass full to help you get your strength back. You'll need it. Too much of it and you'll burst into flame."

I cautiously took a sip and felt my eyes widen as the liquid that touched my tongue tasted _exactly _like the sundae at Carson's Ice Cream Parlor. A warm, tingling sensation spread from my gut outwards and I felt refreshed and revived. I handed the glass back to Ollie and he smiled brightly at me.

"You've done well, kid."

There was that word again. _Kid. _I couldn't shake off what Phoebe said earlier this week.

"_You see, everyone at camp is under pressure for the same reason: we have to win the war or we'll die. Simple as that."_

And everyone here is just a kid. How can a bunch of kids defeat Titans that are eons years old?

Day seven loomed around like a cat watching its prey.

By now most campers had returned to Camp Half-Blood. The Hermes Cabin was as cramped as ever. The Hephaestus Cabin was out on a mission trip. The tension that evaporated as the week went on reignited. Everyone went back to the normal activities planned now that the intensive days were over. I played a nervous game of volleyball with Jace, Phoebe, and a few other campers from the Hermes Cabin, including the weird marshmallow girl.

"My name's Tempest," she told me earlier in the week. "You have sweet archery skills. But if you ask me," she leaned in and smiled wide, revealing well-water stained teeth, "marshmallows are going to be the next big weapon. You'll see."

I looked at her skeptically and awkwardly walked away.

We had conversations few and far between, so I concluded though she was an odd one, I liked Tempest. The way her eyes lit up when she held a sword or bow told me that I was lucky this fiery spirit was on our team.

I don't know why everyone started behaving like this again, but I was told later that Percy and the Hephaestus boy, whose name I learned was Beckendorf, started doing dry runs of their mission. The thought of it shook everyone to the core. Even I began to understand the true nature of what the war meant.

The rest of the day was pretty easy. I went to the arts and crafts pavilion and played around with some paper mache.

For the next two weeks my days blended together and my muscles hurt less. It was the same game plan over and over again everyday with quests and missions mixed in between. I went on a small one to a drug store that was occupied by a snake-woman thing. Tempest, who I had grown to like over the past weeks, and the two other kids from Hermes took her out before she even spotted us. I was too shocked to really do anything.

"We'll work on that," Tempest said with a wink, "trust me."

After a raid in Philadelphia, the Ares and Apollo Cabins fought restlessly over a flying chariot. At first they were sorta entertaining, for me, but after another week, it got told fast.

The last week dragged on for about a year.

By this time I developed a nice tan, I started to look toned, and doing the exercises did not hurt nearly as much as they first did. The combination of everything defiantly raised my tolerance level.

The moral of everyone dropped as everything went on. The flames burned lint grey last night and everyone woke up feeling pretty crappy.

After breakfast, all the campers clustered around Mr. D. The first attack on the Titans was happening today. The cabin leader from Hephaestus, Beckendorf, was to meet up with Percy and plant a bomb on a cruise ship called the _Princess__Andromeda._The plan sounded simple enough, but I was uneasy. One of the girls from Aphrodite tightly clutched to Beckendorf's hand. I'd feel terrible if anything happened.

Beckendorf raised his hand as a sign to be victorious and the campers cheered wildly. We followed him over the hill and waved him off as he flew over Long Island Sound on the back of a black pegasus with a serious attitude. I couldn't shake the feeling that this mission was not going to end well.

* * *

This was defiantly a longer chapter. Exciting in bits, but not an explosion of fun. That'll come later. Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	4. Inquiries of Friends

I didn't make a big deal about it, but I did have a major flaw in the first three chapters. I'm currently re-reading _The Last Olympian, _and I noticed that the whole war takes place in _August. _Percy said so himself. So I just changed the date and made training longer. Nothing that will hinder from what you read. I only added a few sentences.

I felt really Camp Half-Blood-y today with my Camp Half-Blood shirt, shorts, and my converse on, so I felt it'd be appropriate to write a new chapter. :D

Disclaimer: _The Last Olympian _belongs to Rick Riordan.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Inquiries of Friends**

The explosion that sounded and shook the camp roughly an hour after sending our brave warrior off was un-nerving. A huge cloud of smoke followed by a light show of green flames was said to be seen from the Big House. A few kids actually saw the explosion happen. A majority of the camp saw the aftermath.

I took my bow in the forest and didn't see anything. I sure felt it though.

Even after three weeks, I still couldn't wrap my head around what was going on. One minute I was enjoying my summer with my best friend, excited and nervous about high school and simple teenage drama that girls always make into huge deals. The next, I'm _literally _fighting for my life training almost 24/7 for a war that I had no clue about nor even felt a part of. I considered running away a few times during the passing weeks, but chickened out every time I found the nerve to pack my bag. I didn't want to end up on the Titan side or dead, so camp really was my best option.

I wasn't too happy with my option though.

I shot arrow after arrow at the same tree for an hour and a half. Ready. Aim. Fire. Collect arrows. Repeat. I was never good with words, so venting on the tree was the best way for me to express myself.

It wasn't until Phoebe found me that I noticed my fingers were blistering. I've never shot so many arrows in such short time. My calluses were still forming and I kept ripping open my healing wounds.

"Frustrated?" Phoebe patiently sat down next to me, curiously watch as I shot arrow after arrow.

"Just a bit," I muttered.

"Confused." I loosened my arm and glanced down at her. She had a ghost of a smile on her face, knowing her inquiries and statements were the hammer to the nail.

"Scared. Unsure. A deer in the headlights." Her eyes lightened and darkened as she spoke each word. Her eyes widened a moment and she turned her head away quickly, as blush rapidly filling her cheeks.

"What was that?" I asked. Now that I finally got to know her better, I noticed that depending on how long she was staring at someone, her eyes would change color. It was usually only a shade lighter or darker. Once I swore her eyes turned green like Jace's when she was looking at him, but she turned her head away so fast I just thought it a trick of the light. Now in the dim forest, I wasn't so sure.

She sighed heavily, another thing I noticed she did a great deal. She opened her mouth but didn't say anything.

Phoebe was cautious. She was careful. She always thought before she said or did anything. She was gentle too, a mother-like figure. She wasn't pushy though. It was enough encouragement. She was also the only one who could put Jace in his place. He'd be his show off-y, cocky, sports-competition man he is and she's say something so calm and sharp, he'd shut up. She's one of those people who is so nice to everyone, but she could slip something offensive or mean with that sweet demeanor of her's that you wouldn't even notice she insulted you because she said it so pleasantly. It wasn't a southern-belle kind though. It was genuine. Besides, Jace was the only one she really insulted.

"It's a… talent I have," she said slowly.

"Changing your eye color?" I asked skeptically.

Her blush deepened and she closed her eyes. "No, it's…" She scrunched her eyebrows. "Do you know who the goddess Psyche is?"

I racked my brain and came up empty. "The goddess of psychics?" I asked stupidly.

She opened her eyes and smiled. "Not even close. She's the goddess of the soul." Her eyes got misty and her gaze moved over my shoulder. "She caught my father's attention just by sitting and reading in the library every day. It took him forever to ask her out on a date." She chuckled and shook her head. "He's quite an awkward man and clueless about women despite having a PhD in psychology. Nine months later, I arrived on his doorstep in glowing, silver crib. You get the idea."

I slung my bow over my shoulder and sat down. I nodded for her to continue. "There are only a few people who know my… predicament. It's not that I'm the 'chosen one' from the prophecy," she said when I widened my eyes, "But it has to do with my mother." She held up one hand. "Only five know. Jace, Chiron, Mr. D, Tempest," she sighed and gave an uncharacteristic eye roll, "and my father. My mother doesn't count because she, uh, 'blessed' me with the gift. Psyche is the goddess of the soul."

"And that means…?"

"Well," she said quietly, "I can see people's souls."

I didn't quite how to react. "What?"

"The soul." She pointed at my chest. "It resides there. They say the eyes are a window to the soul. For me, that rings true. I can also see auras, which are an outwardly expression of the soul. They change colors, but generally remain the same. Yours for the most part is an orangey-yellow." She covered her mouth quickly. "Sorry."

The shock on my face must've scared her, but I smiled widely. "Don't be. It just startled me, but generally I think it's really cool." I looked at her eagerly. "What else can you tell me?"

"I can't."

"Sure you can!" I said brightly. "I'm giving you permission, aren't I?"

Her smile was half-hearted. "Yes, but it's… more complicated than that."

"What?"

She looked up at me and sighed.

"I already said too much." She held up her hand and an additional finger. "Now six know. Maggie, you can_not _tell anyone this. I am begging you. If this gets out and Kronos finds out, I could become a very powerful weapon."

"Why?" This confused me.

"What is the soul?" she asked me, her eyes cast downward.

Holy _Styx. _"Everything a person is. Secrets, personality, everything."

She hunched over a bit more, ashamed or embarrassed, I wasn't sure. "If I look long enough, yes. I'd know someone's whole history. I know too much about people already. It's not something I can turn on and off. It's constant. Holding conversations with people is difficult. Going out in public is worse." She shuddered and took a deep breath, calming down. "You cannot tell anyone."

"I promise."

"You have to swear on the River Styx."

"What?"

She briefly explained the seriousness of swearing on the Styx and I caught my breath. She was serious. Not that I blamed her, but I'm not the best secret keeper. Why she told me this, I am still not sure.

"I swear on the River Styx."

Thunder boomed across the sky and the deal was sealed.

:::^:::

A fight broke out later in the afternoon. It was not pretty, but I did find this once mildly entertaining because this time there was a twist besides the typical curses and weapon throwing.

It started at the volleyball courts. Ollie, Walrus, and I were in the strawberry fields when it began. The Apollo Cabin was currently in use of the courts and a group of Ares boys came over demanding they had ownership of it.

"We had it first." The one Apollo boy said.

"And we led the raid," An Ares boy yelled angrily. After yelling a few more insults, a two Ares kids attacked an Apollo boy.

"IT'S OURS! WE LED THE RAID! GIVE IT BACK!" Yelling was accompanied with repeated assaults. The other Apollo boys pulled them off and shoved them away.

"NO! WE HAVE IT! IT'S _OURS_!" Hollered the Apollo boy that was assaulted by the two Ares boys.

The next minute was a hard core staring contest until an Apollo boy yelled, "Archers! Grab your bows!"

An Ares boy with a bloody nose called, "Get the Ares Cabin ready!" he looked back at the Apollo boys. "If it's a war you want, it's a war you'll get."

"Get the chariot" It suddenly became a race as the two cabins ran back to their cabins to gather weapons and troops.

Ollie sighed and went back to picking the berries, muttering something about "unnecessary battles." A flash of light from one of the Apollo boys caught my eye. He was holding a musical instrument that looked like a miniature harp. He wore a devilishly evil smile and casually strolled to the cabins where the main battle took place.

"I think I want to check this one out," I said to Ollie.

He gave me an are-you-kidding-me-these-strawberries-won't-pick-themselves look before turning back to his work. "Whatever suits your fancy." He muttered something else I didn't hear, but I walked away, too interested in this new turn of events to care. I jogged across the bridge and to the cabins. Just as I reached the outskirts of Cabin One, my ears were greeted with the most hideous sound I have ever heard. I couldn't help but fall to the ground, shivers running up and down my spine, my ears crying for mercy as I closed my eyes and begged the gods for the terrible noise to stop. I cupped my hands over my ears and was finally able to stand up.

It was the kid with the harp thing. He calmly stood on top of the Apollo Cabin, smiling and strumming away at the horrible instrument. The kids in the other cabins yelled and complained at the kid to stop it, but he kept playing. I shoved my fingers in my ears, easing the noise a little bit. An Ares girl launched a javelin at him, but missed by a hair. All the Apollo boys suddenly did not seem to be the threat. It was the boy with the harp who was their new target.

"THAT'S ERIC!" I jumped in surprise and turned to find Tempest happily observing the war. She had earplugs in her ears and sipped from a McDonald's extra large plastic cup. I didn't want to know how she got it.

"I DON'T LIKE THAT INSTRAMENT," I yelled back.

"IT'S CALLED A LYRE. ACTUALLY, IT'S THE _FAOUL LYRA_! THE FOUL LYRE. GREAT FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS IT, BAD FOR EVERYONE ELSE." She yelled. "LET'S GO TO THE HERMES CABIN! THE DOOR WILL BLOCK THE SOUND BETTER!"

"Better" was the word for it because the ear-splitting sound was still audible. Tempest ran over to her bunk and pulled out a large tin bucket full of popcorn. The other Hermes kids who were taking shelter from the battle looked at her quizzically, but didn't say anything.

I wish I could say that the battle was eventful, but in reality it was a painful struggle. Apollo and Ares kids tried to fight, but the music—if you could call it that—was too loud and painful. A beautiful chariot manned by two of the Apollo boys shot up in the sky and landed on top of the Apollo Cabin to join Eric the Lyre Player. A few more spears were aimed at the boys but they dodged them. One of the kids in the chariot yelled and Eric stopped playing that dreaded instrument.

"I swear if that goes off one more time," The cabin leader from Ares threatened. Before anyone had a say, Eric threw the lyre in the air and clapped his hands, the magical instrument disappearing in a flash. The boy closest to the chariot tossed Eric an electric guitar and the other Apollo boy a microphone. He took out a bass guitar from the chariot and then three boys grinned wickedly.

"ONE! TWO! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!" And the three boys began playing the worst song I have ever heard. Everything was off. It even caused the Ares and Apollo kids both to go out of whack and lose concentration. Playing terribly to win a battle was the most entertaining thing I saw during my time here.

The fight finally was ended half an hour later. A Dionysus kid had come out of his cabin, complaining that he could not get to sleep with all the noise (the windows in that cabin are super glued open thanks to a prank the Hermes kids pulled a few years ago. From what I heard, they don't mind it much anymore) and grapes started growing everywhere, wrapping themselves around some of the campers legs and angrily growing up the sides of the Apollo and Ares Cabins. Two of the Demeter kids ran out and helped the grapes grow. Cabin Seven finally agreed to stop fighting and the two cabins called a truce.

I couldn't stop laughing. So far, this fight was the silliest of all.

Dinner between the two cabins was tense. Everyone else tried to relax, but no one really could stop thinking about Beckendorf or Percy; the Apollo and Ares kids couldn't stop glaring at each other.

I honestly didn't _know _what to feel. Phoebe nailed it earlier on today, but all these feelings jumbled and merged to form a blob. I just went with the motions. I just _didn't _know.

There were only two people who sympathized with me: Phoebe because she always knows, and Tempest of all people. I still did not know her well, but she hung around Jace and Phoebe a lot. There were three things about her that I could sum up: unafraid of anything, spirited as a horse, and zany. From what I've heard from the other campers, she's is an _excellent _swordswoman, but she uses lamps, marshmallows, and other random objects instead of the proper weapons. All of them are celestial bronze, but it is still really odd.

Apollo lead a really good sing-a-long at the fire that night even though the flames were only six inches high and steel grey, occasionally flickering a deep red to reflect the anger the Ares Cabin was feeling. I left a bit early, not really in the mood for singing. I headed back to the Hermes Cabin and found myself alone.

I don't know how long I was laying in my bunk staring at the ceiling.

"You okay?"

I shifted to my left and my blue eyes met a pair of brown-green eyes. She cocked her head to the side, her wild coppery hair shifting with her movement.

"Hey, Tempest," I said in a tone that I didn't mean to sound so melancholy.

"You didn't answer my question."

I sighed and ruffled my dark brown hair. "I don't know. I just don't know how to feel about all this."

"It really is an all you can eat buffet, isn't it?" she asked. "Not only are you handed everything, but you have to eat it too. You don't have to be so down about it though."

"I just don't understand why _now_!" I said, clearly frustrated. "Why this moment in time? Why not _next _year!"

"If you honestly think the Fates work that way," she lifted an eyebrow and poked my shoulder, "you are sadly mistaken."

I sat up and invited Tempest to sit on the bed. She made a huge spectacle of it, using the lower bunk next to my bed to flip and land cross-legged across from me. My mouth dropped open.

"If you that's cool," she said, a weird smile on her face, "you should see the stuff I can do with my pegasus, Twister. He's a cool dude, but has a wicked temper."

"You talk like the horse is a human," I said.

"He's not human, but he may as well be. He constantly complains about how messy the stables and other creatures are."

I blinked, not sure I heard that right. "The horse… told you?"

She looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Duh. I'm a kid of Desponia," she jabbed her chest with her thumb like she was important. "Well, not officially. She hasn't claimed me yet, but I've done my research and I'm 98.3½ percent certain!"

"Uh huh," I said skeptically.

"It's true! That silly goat-boy you hang around with agrees with me. Since I was seven I could talk to horses. Desponia is the goddess of horses. It all adds up."

I guess it did sound like pretty good evidence, but you never know. Her mother could be a different minor goddess. I couldn't think of any at the time, but many gods are guardians of different things.

Tempest was waving her hand in front of my face. "Hello? Anyone home? Does Maggie live here? Or did she leave and take a field trip to her brain? I think she did."

I knocked her hand out of my face and gave her a you-seriously-did-that look.

"What about you?"

It was the second time this topic was brought up. I _know _Phoebe knows I've had those visions. She never brings it up, but the way she looks at me sometimes I just know. I still couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"Nope."

"So you've no idea who you're parent it?"

I shook my head.

"Even with your badass archery skills?"

That struck a though. _Archery. _

"There are two possible gods with that," Tempest continued. "Hermes and Apollo. I highly doubt Apollo though. He only has sons. Not that he's sexist, it's just he's known for mostly having sons. Just check the local library and it says it there in the books."

I nodded my head, but still didn't feel certain that I was a child of Hermes. I never felt the need to play a trick or steal something.

"I don't really need to think about that right now," I said. "I have bigger problems. Like trying to figure out how to survive a war." I sighed heavily and slumped back. Tempest affectionately patted my head.

"Goodnight kiddo. I doubt it, but sweet dreams!" She hopped off the bed and galloped out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

My dreams were far from sweet.

_First I saw my mom looking at a picture of me from last year. It was when I broke my arm, so my lime green cast was proudly held up. My mom's eyes were shiny from crying._

"_Oh, Maggie," she said. "I hope you're okay."_

_The dream shifted and I was in the Underworld, at least I thought I was with all the dead people around. A boy of about twelve was pleading with a man garbed in black. He radiated darkness and power. Their words were muffled and faded, so I didn't know what anyone was saying. _

_Everything faded into darkness and there was a sudden spotlight on a girl with golden hair and eyes that matched. They changed in the light though when she turned around, shifting to light blue then returning to gold._

"_You're turn will be coming soon," she said, looking directly at me. "You'll be up to bat."_

I woke with an uneasy feeling that I've seen her before, but I couldn't place my finger on where. It didn't matter anyway. I forgot about her by mid-afternoon when a huge group of campers rushed to the beach.

Percy returned.

* * *

The thing about Apollo is true. I did my research so I wouldn't sound like a moron. I also have the book next to me to consult. :D

Over and out,

Mahersal


	5. In the Window

I just can't stop thinking about _Percy Jackson, _so I had to write the next chapter!

I already told Midnightscreamer, but I have actually written down the full plot of the story so hopefully I'll get chapters out faster!

This is the first chapter of the other characters POV. First up: Phoebe!

Without further ado, chapter five!

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**In the Window**

_**Phoebe**_

The other campers were eager and hopeful when they heard the news that Percy finally made it back to camp in the late afternoon, but I was apprehensive about his arrival. The explosion we saw miles away _shook _the camp itself; this did not feel like a safe mission or a successful one.

My intuitions were correct when I gazed into Percy's eyes—a force of habit—for a brief moment and learned the horrible truth of Beckendorf's death before the words formed on his lips. I turned my head and looked at my shoes as he recalled and told the tale of what happened. Silena's pained voice broke my heart. Bereft, I shuddered and stifled a gasp. I felt a strong arm around me and turned to see Jace holding me. I did not know Silena very well even though we've been to camp almost every year together, but I didn't need to know her to feel her pain; I just needed a glance into her eyes.

"Phoebe, you can't help her," Jace muttered in my ear. "There is nothing you can do. Clarisse can handle it."

I clenched my jaw, knowing what he said was right but unable to ignore my fatal flaw. "Just let me talk to her." I attempted to move toward her, but Jace held me back. It didn't matter anyway; Clarisse steered her away as the group sadly broke apart and the cabin leaders walked over to the Big House for a meeting. I started following the other campers but Jace caught my hand. He smiled, his trademark smirk of mischief matching the playful sparkle in his forest green eyes.

"C'mon," he said, pulling me toward the beach. For once, he didn't let go of my hand as we strolled to Long Island Sound. I let go of his hand and ran ahead to the water, allowing the water to graze over my toes and soak my flip-flop; I was very happy I didn't wear my skinny jeans and tennis shoes that day.

Beaches always calmed me. I never had to worry about accidentally discovering a secret or feeling devoted to help someone if I looked at the water. The water just showed how it was feeling on the surface and I didn't have to worry about accidentally learning something new. If the ocean wanted me to know something it would show me. I smiled and turned my face toward the sun, a rare feeling of relaxation starting from my spine and spreading to my fingers, toes, and face like wildfire. It was one of those odd moments where I was truly at peace.

A sound of splashing to my left told me Jace finally caught up with me. He smiled at me once more and wriggled his toes in the wet sand.

"You seem content," he said.

"I am."

Silence.

Jace disappeared from my side and I stood at the rushing shore for another ten minutes, just staring. We didn't need to say anything to each other. It's always worked that way with us. After those long conversations when we finally hit puberty, we didn't need to say much to each other when we were alone. It was one of those infrequent occurrences where two people didn't need to speak to have a conversation when they were around each other.

I made my way back up the beach and sat on the sand dune Jace was relaxing on. He sighed, knowing what was coming and looked at me.

And suddenly I was in Jace's shoes. It started from the moment I looked into his eyes and went backwards. I watched Jace and I grow up in reverse order. I watched as Jace's mother got home from the strip club. I observed the small moment in his life, going through his history backwards and forwards, inside and out.

"Hazel, green with blue rims, black," Jace's present face flickered through my vision as he ran off the color of my eyes during a certain vision.

I smiled and continued looking at the world in Jace's eyes. "I'm going to personality now."

Jace groaned but didn't look away; he was the only one I was allowed to soul search without permission.

I squinted and the visions faded and a sea of black replaced the past. A white figure bloomed into view. An unclothed Jace, sleeping soundly like a baby curled in fetal position, opened his eyes, the forest green eyes contrasting extremely with his skin and red-brown hair. I took a breath and went into this Jace's eyes. A younger Jace about the age of eleven stood in the middle of a busy city. He stood still, his hair gently blowing in the wind as the city rushed past like someone took a picture with a high speed camera. The sun rose and set in the matter of seconds and repeated over and over again. A sleek red Jaguar moved at the same speed as Jace. He kept goading the car to go faster, but it didn't move as fast as the other cars white were virtually invisible, a steam of red and yellow lights on the road the only sign that cars were there. The young Jace's form blinked and he stood on the top of the tallest building of the city. He smiled and jumped off the building, flipping and spinning as he fell. A sword appeared in his hand and he swished and slashed at the air. With one final flip he landed on his feet.

"Hey, Phoebs?" He asked quietly, his face flickering onto the younger Jace's face.

"Mhm?"

"Your eyes are my color."

"They've done this before."

"I know," he said, an uncharacteristic quiver in his strong voice. "But you have haven't looked this deep for many years now and your eyes are _exactly _my color."

I felt my lips curl in a smile and I followed as the young Jace walked into the building he just jumped off. The inside was full of trophies with different awards and personality traits engraved on them.

"And now?"

He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "They're a darker shade."

I snickered. Ever since I actually told Jace about my ability to read souls, he's been disturbed by my eyes changing colors. He said that it is "unnatural and unrealistic" and also that it's "just plain creepy". Silly boy.

Young Jace turned to face me, a small smile on his face. I almost blinked, startled by this sudden recognition. This was clearly something new.

"C'mon!" he ran forward and grabbed my hand.

"Phoebe…" Jace's voice was hesitant. "What are you doing?"

I shushed him and felt my hand being tugged by the young Jace. We ran past countless hallways with names on all the doors, each room containing a secret. He led me to a door on the right. This one was much different than the others. It was pure gold and shimmered in an unknown light. It radiated heat. This door wasn't intimidating or scary though. The warmth was comforting. The shimmer was enchanting. The feeling it gave off was familiar. Young Jace opened the door slowly and motioned me to go inside.

"Pink, blue, purple," Jace muttered. I heard the smile in his voice.

A representation of the Jace who was sitting next to me right now stood in front of me; however he was wearing a black tuxedo with a green tie that matched his eyes, an outfit I have never seen before. The room was dimly lit from a distant light. A golden harp and chair sat in the center of the room. Jace smiled.

"Come," he said and took my hand. He led me to the harp and sat down. The smile morphed to the trademark Hermes smirk and he lightly placed his fingers on the strings. "This one is for you."

The music the flowed from the harp was incredible. It was soft and loud, sad and joyful, gain and loss, misery and hope. It was beautiful. It was perfect. It was just for me.

The song ended with a high "A", the note lingering in the air long after it was strummed. Jace slowly but smoothly, turned his head up to face me, a light in his eyes that I have only seen once.

"Phoebe," he took my petite hands in his strong ones. "You are the most beautiful soul I have ever seen."

I looked down and eyed my camp shirt and dark washed shorts and worn flip flops. I wasn't skeptical of what he said though. A small light from the center of my chest glowed and pulsed. I lifted my eyes up to meet his. He smiled but didn't say anything; the look in his eyes was enough.

I blinked.

Jace's face was scrunched up in worry. I noted his hand was holding mine. I felt a blush flare in my cheeks. "Oh, Jace…"

His eyebrows furrowed and his mouth hardened, perplexed. "Your eyes turned this…" He looked away, confusion and awe on his face. "They were a deep red, almost crimson. But it wasn't just a color like the others. Your eyes seemed like they were… breathing, like your eyes were _living. _It was like a beating heart almost." He was unnerved. He shook his head and looked back at me. "Phoebe, what did you see? They've _never _done that before."

I smiled a small smile and my face warmed in a deeper blush. I small part of my brain suppressed surprise at my not being tired. Usually I am exhausted after searching souls for over three minutes. For once I was fine.

"I didn't know…" I said slowly.

"Didn't know what?" His hand tightened around mine.

"How… about me."

It was his turn to blush. "That's what you were looking at." He shifted away from me.

"Why are you embarrassed?" I was more curious of his behavior than hurt from his moving away.

"Because… just in case," he said evenly. "We've both had our other relationships."

I smiled once more. "That failed. You don't have to put your guard up. Because you can't read my soul I've tried to make it easier for you. I've done so through all these years."

It was slow, but he released his death grip on his knees and relaxed, rotating his body toward me. His openness and attentive eyes spoke his words. He looked expectantly at me.

"Jace?"

He tilted his head to the side like he does when he's teasing. "Hm?"

I paused and smiled. "I… I love you, too." Before my brain become aware of my movement, my heart and instinct took over. I closed my eyes and leaned in, my lips softly touching his. It was a shock that passed through our lips in that first touch. It became at match of wits then as our lips danced and moved roughly against each other. Jace moved forward and wrapped his arms around me. There was passion at first, this long awaited kiss heated with excitement and eagerness, but it faded and became slow, tantalizing, remembered. It became desperate, a question of why it took so long to be where we were at this moment. It morphed to care and concern for each other. I felt a tear run down my cheek. I wasn't sure where it came from.

I couldn't tell you how long we sat there on the beach together. It could've been seconds, minutes, hours. I didn't care. He didn't care. For once, I didn't have to look in his eyes to know the deep parts of his soul. It was there on his lips ready for me to explore. It was pure bliss. He explored all over my face and neck, searching for new parts of me he never knew. His hair was knotted in my hands. His hands methodically moved about my body pressing and lingering here and there. It wasn't strange or weird. Eight years of knowing each other but never being this close… it felt far away. There was no shedding of clothing or lusty thought that passed through either of our minds, something Jace usually couldn't keep to himself. It was just the two of use. Jace. Phoebe. It was beautiful.

Jace planted one final slow kiss on my lips, a combination of sweetness and desperation. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He breathed deeply, a smile of relief and satisfaction on his face. His eyes were still closed.

"You seem content."

He smiled. "I am."

Silence.

It wasn't very long though until Jace opened his eyes. For the first time ever, I could look in his eyes and not his soul. I saw no visions, no smaller Jace. I saw forest green eyes.

"Why now?" His eyes lost some of the happy, fuzzy haze and sharpened.

I decided to play dumb. "Why what?"

He frowned, a motion with no true feeling behind it but just for the sake of it. His eyes still were swimming with joyful emotions. "You. Me. How it took us _this_ long. We've know each other for eight years, and… this happens now?" He smiled for the sake of smiling. "Why now?"

I looked at him, my smile fading. "You need me to explain?"

He sighed and looked at his shoes.

"I've know you've loved me since you were twelve." I said quietly, shifting my eyes to the setting sun. "It was but a pulse, but it was there. That was the last time I went so deep. Occasionally I'd catch snippets of it in your eyes but for the most part the depth that was there…" I shook my head. "I didn't know."

He smirked briefly. "I had feeling you felt the same way, but I was hesitant. I didn't want to do anything wrong. Weren't you hurt when I was with those other girls?"

"Were you hurt when I was with those boys?"

He closed his mouth.

I smiled.

"Phoebe Anderson," Jace muttered to himself.

"I saw your snippets," I continued. "I wanted to show you some of mine. They were subtle—"

"Phoebe, that one time when you took my hand during Capture the Flag was _not _subtle."

"—but they were there." I wrinkled my nose at him for interrupting. "I figured it was time anyway. Since you can't read my soul, I wanted to show you. Just in case."

I looked at him for a long time, a line of light lingering in the horizon. His eyes were bright and shiny, a single tear falling from his eye. "Thank you." He leaned in and left me with a single kiss before heading back to the cabins.

I sat there and watched the light gradually leave the sky. What had been hidden and in the dark finally came out. The strange disjointed feeling I periodically got when being with Jace left. I no longer felt like something was missing. It was whole. We were whole. Everything unsaid was said. Soul had finally met the body. There were no strings attached, nothing quiet. I went to bed that night feeling less empty, less plagued. The other campers were sleeping by the time I got back. Jace was awake though. His hands were behind his head. He stared at the ceiling. I changed and got into bed, Jace at my side just as I got settled. He kissed me tenderly on the forehead.

"I love you so much, Phoebe," he muttered, taking my face in his hands, his eye scrunched up in worry as his eyes frantically darted back and forth. "I need you to stay safe. I need you…" He bit his lip, trying to keep down all his feelings. I knew though. I placed my hand on his and squeezed. I kissed his palm.

"I love you, Jace," I said, a soft smile on my face, "but I can't promise you that. You know that."

His voice was desperate. "Just try. Please."

I blinked heavily, fighting sleep. "I'll try."

He exhaled and smiled a tired smile. "Thank you." He kissed me on the mouth and hopped up to his bunk. He looked at me one last time. I saw the harpist strumming away and smiling in his eyes before he rolled over.

Bad dreams evaded me. Jace gave me a concert in my dreams.

A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.

* * *

Why yes, that is a Death Cab for Cutie lyric. :D "Soul Meets Body" is their song. ^3^ Too cute.

I have to say this is my favorite chapter so far. It's a good one! :D

Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	6. Before the Storm

Time for another chapter! :D

I don't really have much to say about this except it's back to Maggie's POV. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own PJatO.

**Chapter 6**

**Before the Storm**

The following day was pretty mellow besides the fact that everyone knew that in a few short days something was bound to go down. The Apollo and Ares Cabins got into another fight after breakfast. Activities went on like normal, well, as normal as a camp like this could be. That afternoon we had a shroud burning ceremony in honor of the fallen Hephaestus boy, Beckendorf. It was the most somber ceremony I have ever been to and I've attended many funerals in my life. I really wanted to feel bad for everyone else who knew him, especially Silena, but I was just too caught up in my thoughts to have any feelings of empathy. This just seemed… too real, too close to home. This boy was only a few years older than me. If his death did anything for me, it frightened me. I was scared to the core of what was going on outside this "safe" little bubble they called Camp Half-Blood.

I ran back to the cabin, ignoring the calls of the Hermes kids and my friends as they headed over to the pegasus stables. I needed to leave. Now. As soon as I crashed through the door, I threw my suitcase on the bunk under mine and started tossing my clothes and belongings into it. I picked up one of the three camps shirts I've acquired and stared at it before breaking down and collapsing on my suitcase. It was a gross, hideous cry with hiccupping and snot and slobber all over. I felt sick.

There was a soft knock on the door and I quickly wiped my eyes and turned. Tempest was casually leaning against the frame, a black pegasus noisily munching grass standing next to her.

"I saw you run and I heard gross crying as I got closer," she said bluntly. "Are you okay?"

My mouth ran before my brain stopped it. "Of course I'm not okay, you _ilíthios!_" I screamed. "I'm in the middle of a freaking _war and I don't want TO DIE!"_

Tempest's eyes widened but she otherwise remained stoic. "Quite a temper you've got there."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" I balled my fists and slammed them down on the bunk repeatedly. "I NEED TO LEAVE! I—" I broke down crying again, my emotions getting the best of my like they always have.

"_Twister!_" Tempest hissed. "That's not nice at all!"

I looked up and scrunched my eyebrows. "Did you say something to me?"

Tempest sighed and jerked her thumb to the pegasus. "No, I was talking to him. He's being a _jerk._" The pegasus abruptly stopped eating grass and snorted. He lifted his head and got in her face. She pushed her nose against his and frowned hard.

"No, she's not! She's confused!" She yelled.

Twister rolled his eyes and snorted again.

"A _crybaby?_ That's low even for you, you useless lump!"

The pegasus took a step back and stomped his hoof.

"Don't get sassy with me! I know what makes you weak and I'll use it if I have to!"

Twister's eyes widened then narrowed and he pinned his ears back.

"Oh we're going there? Fine then! No oats and brown sugar for you!"

Twister suddenly had a change of heart and he gently nudged his muzzle against her shoulder and whinnied softly.

"Uh huh." Tempest sighed and gave him a half-hearted smile. "Alright then." She turned to me. "Twister says he apologizes for all the mean names he called you. Right?" She turned back to him and he nodded his head in agreement.

Clearly my crying had stopped and I no longer felt the urge to leave. In fact, I hadn't felt that calm in a long time. Tempest lead me back to the stables, occasionally scolding Twister along the way for doing and "saying" this and that. The rest of the day rolled on slowly.

Instead of going to the sing-a-long and campfire, which glowed a pitiful dark grey, Tempest, Jace, Phoebe, Ollie, and I went to Long Island Sound. Phoebe and Jace were holding hands and quietly smiling at each other. Ollie was unreadable like usual, and Tempest was done being serious for the day and was her usual zany self.

"When did this happen, hmm?" She asked Jace and Phoebe, indicating their hands with her foot since she was walking backwards on her hands.

"It was always there," Phoebe smiled and said vaguely.

"Oh, shush with your philosophy, Soul Girl," Tempest scoffed and smiled mischievously. "Was it when you two suddenly disappeared yesterday?"

A blush suddenly and swiftly flooded Jace and Phoebe's cheeks.

"No! Where did you get that idea?"

"Of course not that's crazy talk!"

"Well, sorta…"

"Maybe a little…"

"Yeah, I guess…"

"You hit the hammer on the nail."

Tempest smiled and braced her arms and she pushed herself off the ground and did a back handspring so she could walk. "I knew it! What took you lovebirds so long?"

"How in Hades' name did you know?" Jace demanded.

"I have the perception of a blind squid—"

"Squids are blind."

"—but something like that was _so _obvious." Tempest cocked her head and lifted her eyebrow. "Seriously." She twirled and jumped around the two of them. Jace's patience was wearing thin and Phoebe wore a small smile.

"You two need a couple name!" She said. "What do you think, Maggie?"

I lifted my hands in an "I surrender" fashion. "I want no part in this."

Tempest tapped her chin. "Hmm. How about 'Jabe'? Or 'Phace'?"

Phoebe's smile widened. "Tempest," she said in a quiet, dangerous tone, "if you keep talking about couple names, I'll tell everyone your real name."

Tempest's face darkened. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Tempest scowled at her for a moment and turned her eyes to Jace who bore a smug look. She then bounded over to Ollie. "C'mon, Ollinator! Let's get away from these bozos!"

"Oh dear gods," and poor Ollie was whisked away by Tempest.

"Her real name?" I asked Phoebe.

"Do you really think her parents would name her Tempest?" Jace asked. "It sounds cool for a book character, but not an actual person. She named herself when she came to camp because she hates her real name."

"Do you know?"

Jace sighed tiredly. "No. Only three people besides Tempest know." He bumped Phoebe with his shoulder. "And one won't tell me."

"It's not my place."

"Bite me."

"I don't have any ketchup with me."

Jace shut up.

"Who else knows?" I asked.

"Chiron and Mr. D," Phoebe answered as we walked past the pine trees that separated the camp from the beach.

"Naturally," I said.

Tempest was splashing Ollie with water as we met up with them.

"Maggie!" Ollie scampered away from Tempest in desperation. "Get this crazy girl away from me!"

"Aw, I thought you liked her!" I said in a snarky tone.

"Thanks for the compliment!" Tempest called over to Ollie. She truly thought that Ollie paid her a compliment and gleefully skipped around in the water.

Ollie gave me his trademark are-you-freaking-kidding-me look. "I never really hung out with her before and now I know why." He shuddered. "She's terrifying. Doesn't know how to shut up, never runs out of energy… it's a nightmare."

"Oh come on," I said and nudged him, "she's not that bad. I've never seen her act really crazy."

"Humph," Ollie replied. "She's better than _him._" He snarled and glared at Jace with uttermost malice. Jace grinned and gave him a flippant wave of the hand. Ollie's jaw clenched and his normally light brown eyes darkened and his pupils slit horizontally to look like goat's eyes.

"What's wrong with Jace?"

And just like that, Ollie clammed up.

"Oh my gods, Ollie!" I exclaimed. "I'm your best friend! You can tell me anything!"

His face softened but he didn't speak.

"Please?"

He blinked and his eyes went back to normal. He still wouldn't meet my gaze. "I can't."

"What? Of course you can."

"I never liked him from the start," he said quietly. "But last year, last January…"

"January? I thought camp happened in the summer?"

"It does. Some stay year round. Jace is one of them. Besides, we had too much to deal with last summer to address the issue."

"What did he do?"

Ollie's lips hardened into a thin line. "I can't." He stood up and turned back to camp. He gave me that same pitying look I saw when he first brought me to camp. "I'm sorry." He walked away before I could say anything.

Tempest was happily playing in the water in her own world. Jace and Phoebe quietly chatted at the edge of the water. I stared out at the ocean. An uneasy feeling crept up on me.

"In the dark" didn't even cover what I felt.

Yeah… I don't know about the ending but this chapter is really just filler. :D GO LIFE.

Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	7. Aim

A bit delayed for no reason, but here is chapter seven. I don't know how fast/slow I'll pump these out once classes begin. We'll have to see.

I'll give you a cookie if you can guess the song that's playing in the elevator. ^^

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Aim**

I didn't realize that our move was going to happen the very next day.

The Hermes Cabin was training in the armory mid-afternoon when an Athena camper rushed in saying how Annabeth got a call from Percy to meet him in Manhattan. Without protest or hesitation we picked up our swords, bows, shields, and spears and packed them into three vans. No matter how hard people tried, no one could sway that stubborn Clarisse into coming with us. The Apollo boys even relinquished their claim on the chariot and _gave _it to her. Nothing seemed to stop her from holding her ground.

"Prideful pricks," Jace muttered, spitting in the direction of the cabin as we made our last trip from the armory.

The ride to the island was slow, sullen, and tense. Jace and Phoebe were tightly holding hands, seeming to be afraid to let go. Tempest and two other campers including the Annabeth girl rode on the pegasi above the vans, keeping surveillance so nothing could sneak up on us—not that we wouldn't be prepared.

As we drove into the city, a twang of regret tugged at my stomach. I have always wanted to see New York City, visit the museums, shop on 5th Avenue, and take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. I wanted to go sight-seeing. I _didn't _want to have to see a beautiful and historical city be destroyed by a war and not be able to enjoy the beauty and mystique it had to offer. This was _not _my ideal trip to see the city of my dreams, not that I had a choice in the matter. I wrapped my arms around my legs and sighed, wishing deeply I wasn't in this predicament. I caught Phoebe looking at me for a moment, her eyes lightening as she gazed at me, but she turned and rested her head on Jace's shoulder. I tightened my grip around my legs.

Percy was waiting for us when we pulled up to the Empire State Building, a tower that no one could not recognize. Chiron wished us luck and headed back to Camp Half-Blood, leaving Percy a bit flustered before he took a deep breath and quickly told us his plan of getting Zeus to defend the entrance to Olympus. Suddenly we were trying to jam twenty kids into an elevator. I was in the second lift up and the sardine-packed campers stood silently as the elevator shot up. _300… 301… 321…_

"_And now it's solid… Solid as a rock… That's what this love is!" _A terrible disco tune quietly droned from the speaker, defiantly not an ideal song to play before going up to Olympus.

_597… 598… 599…_

The doors opened.

My jaw dropped.

I honestly wish I could describe the elegance and beauty of the city of Olympus, but I was at a loss of words. I wasn't the only one flabbergasted though. As we walked up the stairs to throne room, campers muttered to each other and pointed to different things. One thing about it seemed off. It was quiet. Not a living thing seemed to be moving. I saw golden shutters shut when we walked past but nothing else. It was sad and depressing to see such an enchanted city come to something like that. I suppressed a bereft sigh.

By the time our group—more like me since I was getting too caught up in Olympus and was not paying attention to anything else—got there, Percy was in a deep conversation with a woman I had never seen. He suddenly fainted and the crowd gasped.

"What's going on?" I asked Tempest as I shoved through the group to find my friends.

"That's Lady Hestia," she said. "She's being all vague and stuff then he fainted. Oh, it seems he's come to already."

I didn't catch what she said, but Lady Hestia was interrupted with a male voice and a different god appeared, this one not looking as friendly or warm.

Jace caught his breath. "Dad."

Lady Hestia vanished into smoke.

Percy tensed. "Um, Hermes," he started, his voice on the very edge of unsure, "we need to talk to Zeus. It's important."

Hermes's eyes were frigid. "I am his messenger. May I take a message?"

The group of campers froze, anxious about the edgy conversation that didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Percy turned to us, noticing our unrest. "You guys," He said. "Why don't you do a sweep of the city? Check the defenses. See who's left in Olympus. Meet Annabeth and me back here in thirty minutes."

"That's an excellent idea," Annabeth said. "Connor and Travis, you two lead."

Conner and Travis looked up from a map and grinned.

"On it." With those two words we were shepherded out of the throne room and back into the glorious city of Olympus.

"Well, you heard what Percy said," Travis said.

"Take groups of five or six and split up." Conner finished.

Naturally, Jace, Phoebe, Tempest, and I formed our own little group and headed off toward some gardens. Tempest ran ahead doing aerials and front handsprings as she went. Phoebe trailed behind her so she could keep an eye on the overly-enthusiastic girl and not be too far from Jace who was in front of me.

"Why didn't Ollinator come?" he asked me suddenly, a bit of malice and scorn in his voice.

"The satyrs were told to go to Central Park and deal with whatever is there," I answered with just as much venom.

"Hn," he said, a strange smile growing on his lips as he twisted his head to look at me. "Strange that he's not here protecting his precious little demigod."

I stopped in my tracks. "Ex_cuse me?_"

He turned fully to face me and walked a bit closer, accepting the challenge. I suddenly felt very small standing under his six foot something form. "You heard me."

"What do you mean by 'precious little demigod'?" I asked bitterly.

"Oh, please. Is it _not _that obvious?" He scoffed. "Don't you notice that he's always hovering around you, asking you how you're doing, making sure you're okay…?"

I felt my temper rising. "He's my _best friend. _He does that because he cares."

Jace's smile was mocking. "I think he more than cares."

"Jace," Phoebe warned, but he ignored her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" My voice dropped to a dangerous tone.

"He wants to keep his baby wibble half-bwood all safe and cozy so the creepy-weepy mwonsters won't get her." He smiled as he spoke in a baby voice.

My smile was forced and bitter, not meaning the true nature of a smile in the slightest. "Isn't it the _job _of a satyr to protect a demigod?"

"Of course," he said obviously. "Just not once you are in the _camp. _He's a hover. He wants to be your human shield. Oops, I meant _goat shield._"

I was having a terrible time keeping my temper under control. My face was flushed and hot. My fists tightened.

"Jace, please," Phoebe said urgently. "Don't do this."

"He's trying to protect me and keep me safe while I figure this out." I said through clenched teeth. "He's not hovering. He's keeping a friendly eye on me so I'll be safe."

"Any normal satyr wouldn't do that."

My rage was reaching its tipping point. "He's _fine. _You wanna go, Lover Boy?"

"Can't take a joke, huh?" He said, putting his hands behind his head and sneering at me. "You're just like him. But you don't linger."

Boiling water. "I can _so _take a joke! And so can Ollie!"

"_Can_ he now? Like the way he cried for a week after Lauressa—"

Out of nowhere, Phoebe roughly slapped Jace across the face. Her eyes darted back and forth and her eyebrows knit in confusion and pain. It took him—not to mention me who was so pent up with anger I couldn't register anything—a moment for it to sink in. He slowly moved his hand to his cheek and put his head down.

"How could you?" Her voice sounded hurt. "She's only fourteen!"

Jace muttered something I couldn't hear.

"Look at me."

He gradually lifted his head up and looked at her. "Blue, orange… burgundy…"

"Stop that."

He shut his mouth.

They had a very short, very hushed conversation. Whatever Phoebe said must have been something important because his eyes widened and he glanced at me several times.

"Okay?" Phoebe said softly.

Jace nodded his head and faced me. "Maggie, I…" he paused and took a breath, "I am really sorry. I truly am."

The last bit of fury melted away. "It's okay."

Phoebe briefly wore a small, smug smile. "I told you."

Jace grinned wearily at her and bumped her shoulder with his. "I know."

"Am I missing something?" I asked.

"I tend to be three steps ahead of people when it comes to figuring things out about themselves," Phoebe said. "You'll learn in due time when it is right."

I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it, knowing that with Phoebe there was no way I was going to pry anything out of her. Fortunately for us, a stocky girl from the Hephaestus Cabin breathily ran toward us, a look of worry and apprehension on her face.

"Guys, you have… to come now," she said between breaths. "The Stoll… brothers are getting… Percy."

"What's going on?" Jace's face morphed from one of remorse to serious business.

The girl motioned us and took off running the direction she came. "I can't explain. You have… to see. Travis said to… get everyone."

Without a second thought, Jace ran ahead, leaving Phoebe and me in the dust.

"Rising to a challenge like usual," Phoebe mused before sprinting after him. I had no other choice but to follow.

I caught up to them at an overlook resembling a waterless Niagara Falls. About a dozen campers clustered and scurried around tourist binoculars, looks of panic and concern on their faces. My stomach fluttered with anxiety as Tempest motioned me over to a pair of binoculars she occupied.

"It's…" For once, the chatterbox girl was speechless. I took a breath and looked through the binoculars, my stomach dropping to my feet at what my eyes were met with.

The city was _dead. _Traffic stopped. Not a car was moving. People lay unconscious in the streets, stopping altogether with their jobs and responsibilities and sleeping. I panned the binoculars over, hoping deeply to see a sign of movement. Everything was still. Not a soul was moving.

And that horrible ear piercing_silence_.

New York is supposed to be called the "city that never sleeps." That's all I saw. No human movement. No sound. Not a bird chirped, or a car horn honked. It was rather uncomfortable. It was sad.

I felt sick.

Percy ran through and pushed a camper out of the way. As he turned to face the rest of us, his face paled and his eyebrows knit in concern.

"Are they dead?" asked Silena.

Percy turned from the binoculars to face us, his face grave. "Not dead. Morpheus has put the entire island of Manhattan to sleep. The invasion has started."

:::^:::

Six hundred floors later, the lot of us stood outside the Empire State building for a pep talk. I wasn't paying too much attention except to hear something about Kronos slowing time, the Hermes Cabin being split in two to defend the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge, and how we were supposed to pick up cell phones and drop them when we were done.

"Wait a second, Percy," said a camper, interrupting my thoughts. "You forgot Lincoln Tunnel."

"How about you leave that to us?"

Everyone turned toward Fifth Avenue as a band of thirty-some adolescent girls strolled toward us. They were clad in white tank tops, silvery camouflage pants, and black combat boots, typical garb for a group of people heading to war. Swords at their sides, quivers in their backs, and silver bows in hand; they were _ready_ for war. A pack of white timber wolves strode next to them as they walked.

The lead girl wore a snarky smile as she looked at the lot of us.

"Oh _gods,_" Phoebe muttered. "Not them."

"What's wrong with people coming to our aid?" I asked. "And who are they?"

To answer my question, the girl up front slapped a bracelet and the most hideous shield appeared. "The Hunters of Artemis reporting for duty."

I was still confused. "Who?"

Jace glanced at Phoebe before answering my question. "They're a bunch of chicks who hate dudes and swear by Lady Artemis to never get some. The only bright side is you get to live forever."

"That sounds… enchanting." I said lamely. Phoebe suddenly went stiff and briskly walked away. I turned to see what made her react so rashly when Tempest near choked one of the poor hunters to death when she walked near us.

"What's with Phoebe?" I asked as other hunters cautiously neared the group of star-struck campers.

"Ah," an unhappy smile crossed his lips, "they tried to collect her a few years ago. Very messy."

"Wha—"

"Don't push it, Maggie."

"Right."

The two of us jumped at an over-ecstatic cry of Tempest.

"_Elva!_" she said, still holding the short huntress in a death gripping hug. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Elva tentatively patted Tempest on the back and squeezed out of her arms, fixing her spiky black and purple streaked hair. "Nice to see you as well."

"I have so much to tell you!" Tempest excitedly jumped up and down, not missing the opportunity to do a few flips. She led the mussed girl over to Jace and me. "Guys, this is my long-time friend, Elva!"

"I wouldn't officially call us _friends,_" Elva murmured as Phoebe rejoined our group, clearly more comfortable with this hunter than the others. "We've only had five or six encounters and once was when Lady Artemis was kidnapped."

"And that's enough to call you a friend!" Tempest said with unfailing eagerness. Elva sighed and looked up at us. I blinked a few times and leaned in a bit to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. Without a doubt, Elva's eyes were a piercing _purple. _

"Are you related to Liz Taylor?" I blurted.

Elva gave me a weird look. "Not as far as I know." She blinked.

_Still purple, _I thought.

"Why?"

"You have purple eyes!" I exclaimed.

She shrugged and got a boastful smile. "Lucky, am I not?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Extraordinarily."

"Isn't she awesome," Tempest asked, oblivious as usual. "Anyway, Elva here was on a mission for Artemis and happened to be chasing a monster across my property four years ago. That was fun."

"I presume you guys know Tempest and her… rashness." Elva said. "She jumped in without hesitation. Explaining everything was the easy part. Leading her to camp was a more difficult challenge."

"I couldn't part with my horsies!" Tempest cried.

We rolled our eyes.

Percy cleared his throat, calling us to attention. "You guys are the greatest heroes of the millennium," He said. "It doesn't matter how many monsters come at you. Fight bravely, and we will win." He raised his sword in the air_. "FOR OLYMPUS!"_

_"FOR OLYMPUS!"_ we cried, our voices echoing off the building and being swallowed up by the silence.

* * *

Maggie argues with a different person this time. XD Ha, that's kind of not funny.

Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	8. Attempting to Lighten the Mood

Hey everyone.

This chapter will be the hardest for me to fix since the girl who Tempest is based off is no longer my best friend. Obviously there are details, but I needn't get into that. SO if I ever write Tempest a bit… meaner or angrier, that's why.

Anyway.

My chapters aren't on track yet; this one used to be seven. They'll catch up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Attempting to Lighten the Mood**

_**Tempest**_

_I was sitting in a large, open carpeted basement next to an elderly man on a cream sofa. I knew the man, but couldn't place how I knew him. We sat, talking and laughing like old friends. Then, fog began to creep through the room as we spoke. It was normal, he insisted. That happened all the time. The fog grew thicker and thicker. I saw two golden eyes come toward us through the fog. They were about miniature schnauzer height off the ground._

_"It's my wife!" the man said to me and began to laugh. He claimed she was silly and was constantly trying to sneak up on him. I began laughing too._

_"Carmella!" we called, "we can see you! You can't scare us, we can see you!" My laughter grew uneasy. The eyes just stared eerily back at us; they hadn't blinked once._

_The man, oblivious, kept laughing as my laughter began to cease. The fog, which had stopped thickening for the moment, hung around us. Then suddenly, it surrounded us so densely that I couldn't see the old man even though he was sitting next to me. He had stopped laughing._

_"Tempest," he said. "Stop it. That's not funny."_

_I sat paralyzed with fear. I wasn't doing anything to him._

_"Stop it, Tempest; you're hurting me!" he called again._

_I was terrified._

_He began to shout: "Ow! Tempest stop! Ouch! You're hurting me! Stop Tempest! It's not fun anymore! Stop! Tempest! Ow! Stop! You're hurting me!"_

_I wanted to do something. I couldn't see or feel anything. I was stone still with shock and fear. Then, he stopped shouting. There was a terrifying silence. The fog lifted. No one was there…_

I woke with a start, terrified to the core. I pulled the covers over my face and squeezed my eyes shut tight. I lay quivering with fear, terror threading down my spine and covering me like a blanket. So scared. With a sudden act of courage, I screamed at the top of my lungs and threw myself in the direction of the light switch. I hit the wall and fell. Someone else turned on the light.

"Tempest?" asked Jace over the grumbles of other sleeping campers, "are you alright?"

Oh, great._Him._ I rubbed my head and shuddered. I was on the ground near the foot of Jace's bunk. I climbed aboard without waiting for him to say anything. "Yeah, I think." I said as calmly as possible once sitting on his bed. My heart was still sprinting laps.

"That's good," said Jace. He lifted his pillow and rolled his eyes. "I think this belongs to you." In his hand was a marshmallow. I smiled widely at him and he threw it at my face. I laughed. For being such a stuck up jerk sometimes—most of the time—Jace wasn't bad when it actually mattered, and that's coming from someone who's been here almost as long as he.

I looked around to see most of the Hermes cabin glaring at me. Same old, same old. "Nothin' to see y'all!" I called to them, using my best cowboy accent, "go on and round up some more'a them sleepy sheeps!"

Jace raised an eyebrow. "You just love playing up your accent, don't you? Y'all." I hit him with his pillow. Most of the cabin rolled over and covered their eyes with their sheets. A few glared at me through squinted eyes. I caught Phoebe starting at me with a concerned look.

"It's that same dream again, isn't it?" She said.

I swallowed down the tears that threatened to come up. "Yes."

She patted her bunk and I stood up on the edge of Jace's bed and dove across the bunk next to his to get to Phoebe's bed.

"What number is this?"

"Uhm…" I ticked off my fingers. "Five."

"Do you know who the old man is? Or what the yellow eyes are?"

I shook my head. "He seems familiar, but… sweet potatoes and applesauce, I just don't know why!"

Phoebe twiddled her thumbs, avoiding my gaze. Like usual. I poked her hands.

"If you want to, you can."

She lifted her head, he eyes wide. "Are you sure?"

"Phoebe, I _need _to know who this man is."

She sighed and nodded. "Jace, please turn off the lights."

As soon as the lights went off, I brought out a glow stick that I kept hidden in my pajama pants pocket. I cracked it and green light glowed from the little stick.

"Really?" Jace asked.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

Phoebe took the glow stick and placed it in the middle. She smiled weakly at me. "Ready?"

"Ready Freddy!" I said too loudly.

She closed her eyes and took a long breath before opening them again.

I've seen Phoebe do her soul thing a few times on Jace the moments she was looking all lovey-dovey at him. She's only done this for me twice—once by accident, and once because I was curious. Hey, we curious kitty cats need to have our curiosity satisfied!

Phoebe's eyes darkened and lightened in the dim light. I didn't phase. I thought it was the coolest thing in the universe. I wish my eyes changed colors like that.

"No, you don't."

"Fine." I whispered back.

:::^:::

It almost seems surreal to think about it. It was one of those few conversations that I could place myself directly there. Even after Phoebe told me who that man was, I still had unreal, twisted dreams about my grandfather dying. Being a demigod can do that.

I squealed and shook my head, getting rid of negative, past thoughts. I jumped up and down and flipped down the street, the corral of Hermes kids trailing behind me.

"C'mon guys!" I called back. "You need to be more chipper than that! Let's sing a camp song! 'Hey, you knuckleheads!'"

No one echoed back.

"It's a repeat song!" I said, cartwheeling back toward the group. "You're supposed to sing ba—"

"Tempest, shut up." Jace said firmly. "No one is in the mood for your bullshit."

I glared at him. "_You _shut up. You can't tell me what to do. I wouldn't care if you were the president, I wouldn't listen to you."

Jace looked at me hard but turned away, not taking the bait. I smile triumphantly to myself and skipped down the street.

"Hey, Tempest," Travis asked. "Has Twister spotted anything?"

"Let me check!" I whistled the "Ocarina of Time" theme and Twister spiraled into view.

_What the hell do you want, _he said crossly. _I was in the _middle _of something._

"Oh what?" I said just as terse. "Checking out some of the mares the draw the carriages in Central Park?"

If a pegasus could blush, he would've been beet red. _N-no. I was, uh, moving people out the way. So if stuff blew up they'd be fine._

"Bull." I said. "You would never do something like that."

Twister pinned his ears back in a guilty kid-like fashion. _Yeah, sure, whatever._

I tapped my fingers impatiently on my arm. "Well? What of the enemy's army have you seen?"

_That? _He whinnied, almost like he was laughing. _It's _enormous. _You guys have no chance._

I thunked him hard on the nose.

_Ow! What was that for?_

"For being an overbearing Negative Nancy!"

_Just saying the truth._

"We need hope! Not negativity! I will _ban _your free flying privileges for a month if we get out of this!"

_If. _

I hit his muzzle again.

_Stop that!_

"Stop being stupid!"

"_Tempest!" _

I whirled around and the group that clambered after us all had annoyed looks on their faces. Travis rolled his eyes.

"Can you _please _stop arguing for once and just get the information?" He said, exasperated.

"I'm trying!"

_Barely._

I shot Twister a warning look and turned back to the Hermes Cabin. "Okay." I took a deep breath and focused my attention back on the silly pegasus. "Twister, what did you see up there while patrolling?"

Twister swiftly described the enemy demigods and monsters, adding bits of negative comments and profanity here and there.

_I thought staking out in a tree would be a good idea. _He concluded. _You know, it's inconspicuous and stuff. _

I chortled at his comment and repeated his observations to the rest of the cabin. Everyone's faces looked grim. Travis nodded.

"We will try to hold them." He said bravely. "We have to."

The group grimaced be we continued trekking down to the Brooklyn Bridge. A shiver when down my spine and I clutched myself. I intentionally left out the description and image of a leering Kronos Twister had sent to me. The group didn't need to know that little bit of information. Besides, he'd probably go after Percy like usual. I didn't want to worry myself sick about it anyway. But I couldn't stop thinking about his golden eyes. Phoebe's eyes were gold, but they didn't actually look like a melted version of the precious metal.I shuddered and shook my head. _No. _Glowing golden eyes have _nothing _to do with my grandpa. That nightmare had been haunting me since that night a little over a week after Maggie arrived.

I whistled the "Ocarina of Time" tune again and Twister, who had been inching away from the group, galloped back. I jumped on his back, clutching his dark mane. He reared up, unfurled his gray, speckled wings, and shot through the afternoon air.

"Heehaw!" I shouted as my pitch-black steed barreled down buildings. He careened downward, and then slowed a bit, lowering until his hooves touched the pavement. His steady gallop slowed until we trotted up to my friends; I was looking as wind-blow as ever.

"Want a turn, Jace?" I snickered, leaping off Twister's back.

"Are you an _idiot?" _He said.

I sneered at him. "What did I do wrong?"

"You're little flying stunt? Yeah, now the enemy _knows _we're coming. Good job, dumbass."

I got up in his face. "_Don't call me that._"

He breathed on my face. "You wanna go, little girl?"

Phoebe ran over and roughly yanked Jace away. He continued to glower at me, but rolled his shoulders and attempted to relax.

"He has a point, Tempest." Travis piped up. "You shouldn't fly around like that. It's like a flare."

"So now you're trying to boss me around?" I scowled at him. "You and what army?"

Travis smacked his forehead and point at the direction we were headed.

"Right."

I felt a little silly, but I kept my defense up. No one is going to boss me around. They couldn't if they tried…

An explosion about two miles away shook the ground. Campers panicked and hastily grabbed their weapons.

"No, no," A camper I didn't care to know said. "Look."

He pointed to a building in the distance and smoke and fire billowed from the side.

"Someone forgot to turn off the oven," Jace sang.

"We can't worry about their safety now," Travis said, strangely business-like. "Let's keep going."

:::^:::

The group was mostly silent for the remainder of the journey. A few people chatted amongst themselves, but most remained quiet. I sang some songs to cheer people up, but "It's A Small World" just seemed to make them for irritated.

"I don't know!" I shouted and threw my arms in the air. Then I did my "thinking pose," a pose of me putting my hand on my chin dramatically and other hand on my hip. "Yah know, Jace does kinda look like Anthony from Smosh. Well, his hair does," I announced.

Maggie looked at me slowly then turned her attention to Jace who was completely ignoring me by this point. Not that I cared.

"No it doesn't." Maggie immediately objected. "Jace has reddish-brown hair—"

"Ginger." I interrupted. Jace gave me a sharp look.

"—and Anthony's is dark. Are you color-blind or something?"

"Yep, inherited it from Twister." I answered sarcastically, "No, I mean his style."

Maggie did her "thinking pose," which looked almost the same as mind but with more attitude. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Jace grimaced and ignored us as we paraded along Broadway Street, stepping over people laying on the ground and maneuvering around cars.

Twister had heard his name and became very excited by the fact that he had a name and it just so happened to be "Twister." He spazed out and grabbed a random blue hat off a little boy who snoozed on the sidewalk.

_Twister is my name, _he sang to me. _Y'all bitches don't forget it, you hear? _

"Language," I corrected him and he threw the hat, hitting Phoebe in the face.

"Thanks, Twister." She said. Hearing his name again, Twister started bucking and galloping before crashed through a store door, setting off all the alarms. Horse genius, I tell you.

_I meant to do that, _he said when I looked at him. _They had sugar cubes in there!_

"Twister, let's go!" I called.

_The voices! The voices!_He replied, knowing he was being a fool. He had that kid-who-got-caught-stealing-cookies look. _Look at what this war has done to me. I'm broken! _He did a pegasus-sob and trotted over to me. He leaned his muzzle against my shoulder.

"Is he okay?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, he's just bi-polar."

_I am not!_

I smiled at him and stepped back, twisted, and back-flipped onto his broad back.

"Show-off," Maggie muttered.

This Travis was gathering the demigods around for a pep talk, so I took this time to go for another flight, making sure this time it wasn't as high. Twister crouched down, then shot upward with the speed of a hawk. I shouted as he swooped in random spirals. He landed and trotted back toward the group.

"We still have about a mile to go guys," Travis said, "but you might want to ready yourselves physically now. Stretch, tighten your armor, get your swords ready, warm yourselves up, whatever. I know just walking can be restless—"

"That sentence made no sense." I muttered.

"Says the ADHD girl doing acrobatics to keep from being bored." Jace countered.

"Touché."

"—so just do what you can to keep from exploding."

Some campers stopped briefly to stretch their aching legs. Other stretched their upper body while walking. Jace swung his sword around. Phoebe tapped a little key chain of an urn that she had clipped to her belt buckle. The little urn snapped off the chain, growing and morphing into a celestial bronze mace.

Maggie's eyes widened. "Woah! Where did you get _that?_"

Phoebe smiled sheepishly. "A gift from Mom."

"That is _boss!"_

She swung it around a few times, testing the weight of it in her hand before she started going all nunchuck style with it. "You wanna hold it?"

Maggie's face light up with a bright smile. "Yes!"

I chucked, knowing what was coming.

As soon as Phoebe let go, the mace dropped to the ground, Maggie moving her feet just in time.

"This… is… heavy…" she panted, struggling to pick it up.

A blush crept its way to Phoebe's face. "Not for me." She took the mace from Maggie and carried it on her shoulder.

"MARSHMALLOWS!" I shrieked suddenly with excitement. I took a bag out of a satchel I attached to Twister's side. I drew my sword from it's scabbard attached to my belt and rubbed the sticky goo up and down the metal. "Those monsters won't know what hit them!"

"If marshmallows will do anything," Jace mumbled.

I ignored his rude comment. "Hey, you're lucky I didn't bring my lamp!"

"She uses a lamp?" I heard Maggie ask someone behind me.

Twister shifted impatiently. _Are you done?_

"Almost. I need my slingshot too." I procured my custom-made marshmallow slingshot from the bag and shoved it in my back pocket. "Done." Twister snorted and trotted away, making sure to wack me in the face with his tail.

"Oh yeah, real mature."

:::^:::

Fifteen minutes later, we could see the Brooklyn Bridge.

"Five more minutes guys and we'll be there." Travis said encouragingly.

The group muttered different words of relief and fright. Far in the distance we could battles going on from the different stations Percy sent us too. I smiled, excited for the fight. What can I say? I love being able to test my different weapons on monsters here and there, not just dummies. I was very nervous is we were going to have to face any half-bloods. I don't know what I'd do if I had to face my own kin. I shook my head, getting rid of any negative thoughts. I needed to stay positive. We'd get through this one. I knew we would.

I heard Maggie gasp sharply and looked at her. "What's up, kiddo?"

She pointed to the approaching bridge, fear in her eyes.

I followed her finger, my eyes met by hundreds of monsters hastily approaching the bridge.

"Stand ready, guys," Travis said, a hint of doubt in his voice. He cleared his throat and said in a stronger tone, "We've got this. Be prepared for anything."

I whistled sharply and Twisted galloped over to me. I jumped on his back swiftly; this was not a time to be messing around. Besides, I could have fun on the battle field.

"Ready?" I asked the pegasus.

_No. _

"You have to be."

"I know." I looked down, Maggie's blue eyes gazing in my direction. "I'll try." She smiled weakly—it was more of a forced grimace, and I could see the fear behind it—and notched an arrow.

"_OLYMPUS!_" Travis cried, and the campers ran forward.

All Hades broke loose.

I'm really glad I didn't bring my lamp.

* * *

There you go! I'm pretty happy with the come out! I now really have to start adding new material to chapters. Hope you liked it! Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	9. So This is War

Hey y'all!

It's been awhile, no?

Well I haven't been in a writing mood lately and had to force myself to write _some_thing. To be honest, I have been avoiding writing the war scene because, well, it's a war scene. I'll see what I can do though.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**So This is War**

If Travis hadn't pushed me, I probably would've turned tail and ran for the hills.

I was scared _senseless, _yet I still charged to battle with the rest of my cabin. I notched an arrow, pulled, and released into the crowd of charging monsters. Phoebe and Jace ran off somewhere to my left.

"Bow to the almighty Twister!" I looked up and saw Tempest wildly swinging her marshmallow coated sword left and right, yellow power bursting when she hacked at a monster. The air was putrid, the stench of sulfur thick. I tried my best not to gag and to just fire arrows. Chiron had made sure all of the archer's quivers were jam packed with arrows. I was thankful for that. If it were just the normal amount, I would have run out by now. My confidence grew little by little with every shot, but the sickened feeling of war refused to leave me.

I lost sight of my friends after just five minutes and only saw the occasional flash of orange from my fellow campers. I took a breath, deciding it was best to leave the sidelines, and headed into the fray of clashing swords, flying arrows and spears, and monsters.

_Okay, Maggie, _I prepped as I shot an arrow into the head of a monster that looked like a seal and a dog in one, _you can do this. Just bob, weave, and shoot._

So that's what I did.

A _dracaenae _swung her sword at my head. She was too close for me to shoot, so I grabbed an arrow out of the quiver and shoved it into her face. She screamed and exploded into mustard yellow powder. Another one rounded in front of me and I dodged around her, stabbed two more monsters as I moved, and got her in a chink of her armor. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I ducked just as another sword swung over my head.

"Don't I get a chance to breathe?" I asked aloud, annoyed, frightened, and exasperated at once.

"Thissss issss a war, ssssilly demigod," a _dracaenae _hissed. "There is never a chance to breathe." She raised her sword above her head and disintegrated when a sword appeared through her chest. Jace had a look of disgust and rage—was that bloodlust?—on his face as he stared at the spot where the monster stood. He switched his gaze to me and smiled wearily.

"How you doing?" He asked.

"I wish I could say I've been worse," I replied weakly.

His smile had no meaning and his laugh was empty. "Keep at it, kiddo. Survival instant. Just… let your ADHD take control." He slipped something out of his pocket and shoved it into my hand. "Celestial bronze dagger. It's not very big, but it's better for closer range if you can't use your arrows." I took the knife and briefly looked at it. It had a simple hilt, and the blade couldn't have been longer than four inches. I nodded gratefully to him and he winked and ran off, swinging his sword wildly as he went, monsters disappearing into dust wherever it touched.

I didn't really have a chance to take a deep breath and "let my ADHD take control" because a hellhound charged through the crowd right at me. I wish I could I say I bravely stood my ground and shot arrow after arrow at the beast until he disintegrated, but that would be a lie. This time, I really did turn tail and run.

"JAAAAAAAAACE!" I screamed. The bridge shook and jumped with every bound the hellhound made. _Why me?_ "HELP ME!"

It made it harder to move because monsters seemed to round at me wherever I turned. It's a good think Jace gave me that little dagger; I would've been a goner otherwise. I never realized how far onto the bridge I walked; I was only roughly halfway across it. Thankfully, there were more half-bloods on this side and they hacked away at monsters as I passed. A stream of arrows sailed over my head. I heard a loud whine and turned, only to be showered in a stream of dust. If I still wasn't so terrified, I would've been disgusted.

"_YAAAAAAH!_" A shadow passed over me and Tempest and Twister were at my side. Tempest was carelessly swinging her sword to and fro. Twister kicked and bucked at monsters, each hit causing the monsters to burst. Tempest grinned madly at me.

"I made sure Twister had celestial bronze horseshoes fitted for battle!" she said a tad bit to excitedly. "Doesn't the rush of battle just get your blood pumping?"

I stabbed my dagger into another snake-woman before giving looking at Tempest. "No."

She shrugged and flipped up on Twister again. She held her hand out to me. "Wanna get back to shooting arrows?"

I nodded and she pulled me up.

"Hold on as tight as you can with your legs. You had Pegasus practice, right?"

I nodded again, this time more urgently since a legion of monsters started to crowd us. "Can we move already?"

"UP, UP, AND AWAY!" Twister leapt up in the air and stretched his wings, beating hard and gaining air, hovering when we were roughly one hundred feet above the raging battle. I notched an arrow and shot, smiling slightly when it hit my target.

"You're right, it's much easier up here." I said. "Kinda a relief for a newbie like me, huh?" I laughed nervously.

Tempest just looked at me with her big eyes before rummaging in the side pack on Twister's flank and pulling out a bag of marshmallows. She gingerly plucked one out of the bag and dropped it. The explosion made a "squish" sound and every monster that the marshmallow goop touched turned to dust.

"Marshmallow bombs!" Tempest said happily to my confused look. "I made them to hurt monsters and not the demigods by just using celestial bronze dust."

"Wait, what do you mean by demigods?" I asked. "_Us_ demigods?"

She dropped the smile and shook her head gravely. "No. Kronos recruited half-bloods too. He brainwashed them. We tried talking to some before, but they never listen to reason." Her eyes had a faraway look for a brief second before she released another marshmallow.

We sat there for another five minutes, Tempest dropping her bombs and me shooting arrows before she ran out. Her eyes suddenly took an excited light as she turned her head toward me.

"Ready?"

"For what?"

She smiled, drew her sword, and plunged downward toward the battle, flying inches above some enemy half-blood's heads. They ducked to avoid getting hit by Twister's hooves and fell on the ground.

"Have at 'em!" She screamed. She slashed her sword about and I tried my best not to fall off. Tempest quickly grabbed a slingshot and another bag of marshmallows out of the pack on Twister's flank and started shooting again, howling with glee every time one of the white puffs hit a monster. They exploded into dusty, mustard-yellow piles all over the bridge to the point that I was feeling sick from all the sulfur.

I caught sight of Phoebe below and aimed an arrow at a hellhound who was trying to get to her from behind. As I looked around, I noticed there were fewer monsters, but also caught some flashes of orange lying on the ground. My heart sank and a bout of fear clutched at my heart.

"Tempest," my voice was thick, "some of the Camp Half-Blood kids are down."

She kept shooting marshmallows and once again looked at me with a sullen expression before turning her attention back to the battle. "Don't focus on them. We need to get out alive before we can mourn."

Geez, this girl was the most confusing person I have ever met! First, she's hyper and off-the-wall about almost everything. Then she gets this rush of excitement and almost a bloodlust for war. And then she gets super serious for a split second before returning to being overly hyper about everything. I couldn't figure her out.

Twister whinnied and kicked at the monsters and other assorted enemies. A few times I caught sight of my friends here and there, but the bridge was swarmed even with the dwindling numbers. Tempest then gave up with the slingshot and eventually even got bored of her marshmallows.

"Maggie, when I say 'eggs', duck and slide forward on Twister!" She proclaimed. "One, two, EGGS!" I ducked just as Tempest braced herself and flipped over me, landing backwards on Twister. She smiled cheekily at me and drew her sword.

"Hey reptile face! Eat some mallow-covered sword! Hey! Don't you know that little twits of doom love marshmallows? Have a few! Death by marshmallows? What would your mother say! She would _so_ not be proud of you!" She shouted insults at the monsters back and forth as she hacked away. Her pegasus flew lazily—almost like he was bored—above the heads of the monsters, kicking his hooves and killing them on impact. I was at a loss of words, so I silently shot arrow after arrow, occasionally needing to draw my little dagger when a monster got too close. If any of the enemy demigods got close, I tried to just knock them out or injure them; there was no way I was killing a human, even if they did side with Kronos.

Twister nickered and knocked out another demigod and tried to snatch at a marshmallow that flew past his muzzle. He bucked and reared, Tempest and me falling off and landing with a crash on a small pile of armor.

"Twister!" Tempest scolded. "Watch it!"

"_TEMPEST!_" I screamed just as a _dracaenae _rounded on her and stabbed her in the shoulder. Her scream was blood curling. The monster pulled her sword out and smiled viciously.

"Hello, little demigod," she hissed. "Isssn't it nice to sssee you _DIE!_" She rose her sword and swung, missing Tempest by a hair as she rolled away. A fierce determination flashed across her eyes and she twirled her sword like a baton before bracing it. I notched an arrow and aimed, but Tempest held her hand out.

"This is my fight," she said, an uncharacteristic calm in her tone. She lifted an eyebrow and sneered at the _dracaenae. _"Come at me bro."

I really wish I were able to describe what I saw. Tempest was probably the best swordsperson I have ever seen. I heard rumors at camp that Percy was the best since Luke up and turned into Kronos, but from what I saw, I'm pretty sure Tempest could rival the great Titan of Time himself. She twirled, spun, and flipped around the monster. Her sword became a blur. Other monsters tried to approach, but she got to them before they even had time to life their weapon. She looked like she was dancing. An enemy half-blood—_Gods, I hate thinking of them like that, _I thought—attempted to take a swing at her, but I shot an arrow at his knee and he crumpled to the pavement.

"What's the problem snake-face?" Tempest asked, honest curiosity in her voice. "Don't like marshmallows?"

The _dracaenae _hissed and turned to run. Tempest's sword passed through her and she burst into powder before she could go anywhere. She smiled genuinely at me before her eyes fluttered and she fell to the ground.

"Tempest!" I rushed to her side, a wave of anger overcoming my common sense. I took a breath and checked her pulse. Sluggish, but still going. Her breathing was shallow. I walked over to the demigod I shot earlier and glowered down at him. He sneered up at me, but I could see fear in his eyes.

"If you're going to kill me," his voice quivered, "do it already."

"Please," I snarled at him. "I would never kill another human. I'm not inhumane." I took my dagger and slashed a piece of fabric off his t-shirt. I glared at him for good measure before jogging back over to my fallen friend and tying the cloth around he shoulder.

"That should hold for now," I murmured to myself. Standing up, I notched an arrow and shot blindly into the crowd of thinning monsters. I was blind with rage. How _dare _someone hurt my friend. Tempest, as weird as she was, was a great person. If she died… I shook my head and pushed negative thoughts away, but persisted in shooting arrows. Ready. Aim. Fire. Over and over.

A hand on my shoulder jarred me and I turned. Jace had dirt and blood smattered across his face and torso. His shirt and cargo pants were ripped up and a mean-looking gash on his arm streamed blood. He looked tired and a little ticked, but he was okay.

"Maggie, the monsters left five minutes ago."

"Wha?" I turned back to the bridge. The only ones left were campers and the dead as well as piles of sulfur and armor. I relaxed my arm, not realizing how sore it was until I moved. I searched the ground for Tempest. "Where's Tempest?" My voice was panicked.

Jace held his hands out to calm me down. "She's fine. As soon as the monsters started to retreat, the half-blood who weren't too injured started helping others. Tempest was one of the first they grabbed. She should be okay because they took Twister."

I nodded slightly, still distracted.

"Is something wrong?"

Tears pricked at my eyes. "Jace, I was so _scared. _I thought I was going to die. I thought Tempest was going to die when that _dracaenae _stabbed her. Then I got so angry…" I paused and swallowed. "I couldn't see anything else. I was just… blinded by rage." I looked up worriedly at him. "That's never happened to me before. I mean, I have a temper, but…" I hiccupped.

A sigh escaped Jace's lips and he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "You're going to be okay." He released me just as Phoebe walked over and took his hand. She looked about as dirty as Jace, sans the cut on the arm.

"How do you barely have a scratch on you?" she asked.

"I stayed on the outskirts mostly until Tempest picked me up on Twister. We stayed in the air most of the time."

The couple looked at each other briefly before Phoebe smiled tiredly at me and waved me to walk with them. I looked at the ground. A fellow demigod was facedown on the pavement, a pool of blood soaking his orange t-shirt. I swallowed thickly.

"What are we going to do about them?" A tear fell out of my eye and I looked away. I was shaken by this whole experience.

"There is nothing we can do," Phoebe said sadly. "We'll burn a shroud for them when this war is over. Not many fell, we can thank the gods for that."

"But people still died!" I protested.

"This is war, Maggie," Phoebe uttered grimly. "People die. All we can do is hope for the best. Now let's go. They made camp at the Plaza Hotel."

She and Jace walked ahead of me. _Hope for the best. _I wiped the tears from my cheeks and took a deep breath. As calm as I tried to make myself, I couldn't stop the feeling of dread from turning around in my gut.

* * *

Sorry this chapter is short; I hate writing war scenes and I didn't want to go on to the Plaza quite yet. Sorry if it's lame-ish. I'm still struggling with ideas since I lost my notebook with my plot in it. I'm still looking for it and I have TLO as a companion, but it's still a bit difficult to come up with ideas. Anyway...

Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


	10. The Game of Love and Loss

Hey y'all.

Been awhile, no? Finally at double digits! *cheers*

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy all summer. I thought I'd be a bit more active this summer, but that obviously didn't happen. I'll update ASAP in the future.

Thank you to all those who reviewed 3. That seriously makes my day.

Oh and the girl who Tempest is based off... we're on good terms again. :) It was just a rough patch. But to make it cheesy, FRIENDSHIP CONQUERS ALL!

Anyone super excited for House of Hades and The Singer of Apollo? :D

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**The Game of Love and Loss**

The trek to the Plaza was quiet except for the occasional explosion in the distance. Jace and Phoebe spoke to each other in hushed voices and I followed a few steps behind. I had nothing to say. I had too much spinning in my mind anyway.

The sun was nearly set when we crossed from FDR Drive to East 42nd. Jace found a motorcycle on its side with its rider slumped over. He picked up the bike, shoved off the owner with an unfeeling, "Sorry, dude," and motioned for us to hop on. It was a tight squeeze, but after Jace hotwired the bike to life we were on our way. I tried my best not to look at the sleeping New Yorkers. I noticed a lot of empty pedestals that usually held statues. It looked a bit suspicious, but I didn't think about it too hard.

Jace gunned the bike toward a fountain in front of the hotel and sloppily parked it. I squeezed myself off and ran inside, catching Jace yelling to a statue above the fountain, "Hey Demeter! Watch the bike!"

The Plaza was far more beautiful than the movies did justice. I had a pretty good idea of where things were thanks to _Eloise at the Plaza, _so I made my way over the dining area, maneuvering my way around passed out rich people. A few demigods and Hunters lounged on chairs and picked at food on plates.

"We're up in the penthouse suites," one the campers said. "Percy and the Apollo Cabin aren't back yet. Have you heard anything from them?"

I shook my head and the camper sighed restlessly. "Well, I hope they're okay. We need healers here pronto."

I nodded awkwardly, mumbled a hasty "thank you," and made my way to the elevator. Just as I pushed the "up" button, Phoebe and Jace caught up. Jace was rubbing his temple. I lifted an eyebrow.

"Turns out she's not Demeter at all," he grumbled. "The bitch threw a bronze apple at me. I thought I dodged it."

Phoebe was trying hard to hide a knowing smile, and the three of us boarded the elevator. An uncommon silence fell among our little group, and I shifted, leaning against the walls. Phoebe and Jace stood near each other, but didn't hold hands; they looked at each other for the briefest of moments, a silence exchange that was way beyond me. The elevator chimed and the doors slid open.

The top floors were completely taken over by demigods. Some wounded kids nursed broken limbs and gashes as others nicked food from the minibars. If there was ever a tension between demigods and Hunters, I couldn't see it; everyone was helping and talking with everyone.

Elva looked up from a timber wolf she was petting and walked over to us. She had a nasty scrap on her cheek and her clothes were torn, but she was mostly okay.

"I'm glad you three a safe," she said and smiled genuinely. "Tempest, however, got her…" she paused for a moment and scrunched her eyebrows. "I think the phrase is, 'ass handed to her.'"

Phoebe nodded and Elva sighed in relief.

"Phrases change so often. I can never keep track of them all." She sighed again and waved us on. "I'll take you to her. She's resting in one of the bedrooms."

Tempest was on her side, her wounded shoulder facing the ceiling. She was muttering something to herself as we neared her.

"Tempest?" I asked and sat gently in front of her. "How are you doing?"

She lifted her eyes hazily at me and smiled weakly. "Oh hey, Maggie," she said in an airy voice, "I'm all hunky dory. You know, the usual. I've just decided to die. See you in the Underworld." She closed her eyes and took in a shallow breath. "Hades, here I come. Please be nice."

I turned toward my friends, my eyebrows scrunched together. They made their way around the bed and Elva rolled her eyes. "She isn't going to die."

"Says you!" Tempest tried to yell. "If I'm never able to use my arm again, I'd rather die. How else can I fight? I'm as useless as a wisdom tooth."

"Tempest, you can't take my word on this," Elva continued, "I'm not an expert. Besides, you are ambidextrous."

"Sword fighting with one hand," Tempest said uninterestedly. "How boring."

"That's how the rest of us fight," Jace said, crossing his arms.

Tempest lazily slid her eyes to meet his. "How boring."

Phoebe placed her hand on Jace's arm, silently telling him not to take the bait. He sighed noisily and tightened his arms. "I'm going to see if the others are okay," he said and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

I looked back at Tempest's shoulder and tried not to cry. The wound was really bad; the _dracaenae's _sword cut straight through her shoulder. It was dressed with copious amounts of toilet paper and bed sheets, but blood was slowly leaking through the bandages on both sides, the only reason that I knew the _dracaenae _cut through her shoulder. Tempest looked like a ghost.

"Apollo Cabin is back!" someone outside the door shouted. An audible sigh of relief echoed around the suites. Jace burst through the door, his face grave.

"Michael Yew is missing." He said. Phoebe's face fell and her hands flew to her mouth. Jace rushed over to her and held her for a moment before leading her out the room, leaving the door open this time. I looked at Elva, who shrugged before a strange laugh sounded from Tempest.

"Mikey was Phoebe's last boyfriend before she and Jace _finally _proclaimed their love to each other," she said, still laughing. "They went out for half a year and broke up on good terms and remained good friends."

"Why are you laughing?" I asked her, mildly disturbed. "He's missing."

"My arm is basically dead," she reminded me, pointing to it with her good hand. "And Jace hated Michael throughout the entire time. He pulled terrible pranks on him. Just the fact that he was comforting her is funny."

"I don't find it humorous at all," Elva said.

Tempest hissed out a breath. "Ah, never mind. Y'all don't understand."

Just then, a vaguely familiar boy with wavy dirty blond hair and striking blue eyes walked in, a first aid kit and flask in his hand. He sat down across from me on the other side of Tempest and started to remove the makeshift dressings.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she answered curtly and winced slightly. "You can go away now."

He ignored her and continued to unwrap the bandages. "Who wrapped these?"

"I did," said Elva, fiddling with a key necklace.

"Nice job, Elva." He said smiling. "You definitely helped with the bleeding. She could've lost a lot more blood."

Elva gave a small nod and continued to play with her necklace, a small look of concern on her face. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, when the boy turned his attention to me.

"Hey," he greeted. "I'm Eric."

I suddenly remembered why he looked so familiar. "You're the dude with that terrible lyre!" I accused.

He smiled sheepishly. "Guilty. Got it from Dad a few years ago. I never thought I'd be able to use it again."

"It's a terrible noise," I continued.

"Yeah, it is," he said and finally got to the toilet paper, which was drenched with blood. He grimaced, but continued to work. "It can burst ear drums if you aren't careful."

"OW!" Tempest suddenly yelped, as he peeled the toilet paper off her skin. "Watch it! Just, get someone else!"

"All the other Apollo campers are busy too," he said, mildly annoyed. "I was sent here by Will."

"Why isn't he treating me?" she complained.

"Because Annabeth got stabbed by a poisoned dagger."

"Oh," Tempest said softly, and remained quiet for a moment. She twisted her neck as far back as she could so she could look at him and stuck out her tongue. He stuck his back at her and opened the flask.

"This'll hurt a bit," he poured a gold-ish liquid over her shoulder and Tempest yelped.

"A BIT?!" she screamed. "THIS IS MORE THAN A BIT, MOTHER—"

The smell of my mom's homemade spaghetti sauce over angel hair hit my nose and followed the scent to the gold-ish liquid, awkwardly sniffing Tempest's shoulder. I caught myself, blushed, and sat back up.

_Nectar, _I noted, remembering when Ollie gave me some.

"What do you smell?" Eric asked as he opened the first aid kit.

"My mom's spaghetti sauce."

He nodded and broke off a chunk from a small square and put it by Tempest's mouth. "Eat this and you'll feel better."

"I know what it does," she muttered and took the chunk, biting Eric's finger in the process.

"_Ow,_" he said pointedly and Tempest chuckled as she munched.

Eric glared at her, took out a tube and squeezed some silver paste on his fingers and rubbed it on both sides of her wound. He muttered a hymn in Ancient Greek and for some reason I instantly recognized the words he was saying, enough so to almost join in, but something held me back. His face was pale when he finished the hymn to Apollo and took a shaky breath. He grabbed a roll of gauze, and started wrapping it around Tempest's shoulder. "That's as much nectar that I dare to use at this time. I'll redress your wound in about two hours. You should be okay in about three days. Tempest," he said gravely, his face serious. I thought it looked unnatural on him. "Don't fight again. Don't you dare."

"You can't tell me what to do," she protested aggressively, slowly inching away from him and attempting to sit up.

"Don't get up!" he said, his face lit up with concern. "If you want to heal faster, you need to stay on your side!"

"_Don't tell me what to do!_" Tempest hollered, sitting up and yelping in pain. She used her good arm to place her other arm in her lap. "This okay?" she asked sarcastically.

"I know what I'm doing," Eric stressed. "Kid of the god of _healing. _Temps, _please._ Just listen to me."

Temps? I cocked my head slightly at the exchange but—for once—had enough tact to keep my mouth shut.

"Don't call me that."

"I'll use your real name."

I recalled a conversation I had on the beach with Phoebe and Jace:

_"Do you really think her parents would name her Tempest?" Jace asked. "It sounds cool for a book character, but not an actual person. She named herself when she came to camp because she hates her real name."_

_"Do you know?"_

_Jace sighed tiredly. "No. Only three people besides Tempest know." He bumped Phoebe with his shoulder. "And one won't tell me."_

Only three people, and the other two were Mr. D and Chiron. I guess Phoebe failed to mention a fourth person. Or she was protecting someone.

"_Don't you _dare," Tempest said ominously. "Telling _you_ was a mistake."

"Were we a mistake?" He countered.

"May-be!" she drawled, shouting the word at him. "Just let me sit here and die in peace!"

"You aren't dying," he groaned. "Your arm will be functional again. You just have to listen to me!"

"You can't and won't tell me what to do! I won't listen to you!"

"But you won't even hear me out!"

"I don't want to hear what you have to say!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

"I'll come and check on you in two hours!" he shouted at her as he walked out the door.

"I don't want _you_ to check on me!" she screamed back.

"Too bad!"

Tempest pulled a pillow to her face with her good hand and screamed her lungs out.

"Gods, he's so _annoying!_" she said hoarsely.

I stared at her a long moment.

"Could I just be left alone please?" she asked.

I nodded and Elva and I left the room, closing the door behind us.

"That was awkward." I said bluntly.

"She and Eric were in a relationship," Elva explained as we walked to the kitchen.

"Oh," I said as it dawned on me why they were yelling at each other.

"I was at camp last year for the battle of the labyrinth and found out they were recently broken up. They were stuck on each other for a bit, got goofy real fast and ended it messily after four months."

"What?" I cocked my head at her slang.

"Confound these terms!" she said, frustrated. "Life would be easier if everyone still used slang from the 1920's!"

"Did you live during that time?" I asked, recalling that Hunters are virtually immortal.

"Yes, but that's a story for a different time." She closed her eyes, leaned against the counter, and thought for a moment. "They fell in love quickly and broke up after four months."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

She looked at me and huffed.

"Okay… then if that was last year why are they still arguing? Shouldn't they have moved on?"

"I don't know," she said, a tad jaded. "Love doesn't concern me. There's a reason I'm a Hunter."

I rummaged through the fridge and offered her an apple. She shook her head and I bit into it. "Why?"

She looked at me for a bit before saying, "Because a boy I loved broke my heart."

"Want to share?" I smiled at her.

"Phoebe did mention you're nosy and don't know when to stop asking questions," she said, almost amused.

I blushed and took a small bite of my apple.

"No, I will not share now." She pushed off the counter and held out her hand. "If we survive the next battle, howver, I promise I'll tell you."

I wiped apple juice off on my shorts and took her hand. "Deal. I'll tell you about how I got to Camp Half-Blood."

She smiled at me, her violet eyes alight with a newfound friendship. "I'd like that."

We met up with Jace and Phoebe and we all decided to hit the sack; it was well past midnight and we all needed our rest.

_I dreamed of gods fighting a huge monster I couldn't describe if I wanted to. Seas rose and fells. Volcanoes erupted. A female voice echoed around in my head._

"_If you think this is bad," she rumbled sleepily, "wait until what I have in store for you little heroes."_

_Her laughter faded and I was inside what felt like a vase. A small and pale girl with curly brown hair and a white dress huddled against the side, keeping herself warm. I reached out to comfort her when she suddenly turned her face to me, her brown eyes wide._

"_Don't!" she squeaked. "Don't touch me! Touch and you let go of me!"_

"_What's your name?" I asked her._

"_Elpis," she murmured. "I am what's left in Pandora's box."_

"_I don't remember you being mentioned in the myth," I commented._

"_It's not a myth," she stated. "You should know this by now, young demigod. You know me by my other name. Hope."_

_My mind flipped to the story and I remembered._

"_You cannot let go of me," she said, her eyes urgent. "Some are starting to lose hope. I get cold when people doubt. But I believe in humanity. You will _win_ this war."_

_I nodded. "I know we'll get through."_

_She smiled weakly at me, some color returning to her cheeks._

When I woke around eight, I noticed that the uneasy feeling in my stomach that I'd had since I first came to camp was gone.

* * *

I hope you all liked it! The next chapter will also be more character development as we get to learn more about Eric and Elva. Stay tuned!

Review?

Over and out,

Mahersal


End file.
